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Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Pair of B’s rookies score first goals in win over Stars

By Ty Anderson
Nov 6, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Ian Mitchell (14) and defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) and left wing Danton Heinen (43) celebrates a goal scored by Lohrei against the Dallas Stars during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off their first regulation loss of the campaign, things were not going to get any easier for Jim Montgomery and the Bruins when they made their way to Dallas for a Monday night showdown with the Central-best Stars.

And given the Bruins’ recent struggles with two-goal leads, you couldn’t help but get a slight sinking feeling in your stomach when Wyatt Johnston made it a one-goal game in the third period of play.

But with a power-play goal from Brad Marchand — and a pair of dazzling shorthanded saves from Jeremy Swayman with less than eight minutes remaining in the third period — the Bruins made sure this lead didn’t dissolve before their eyes and instead hung on for their 10th victory of the season, this time by a 3-2 final.

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  • In a night that was understandably headlined by Swayman and his 35-save performance, it was the Bruins’ rookies who put themselves on the board in this contest with a pair of strikes within a four-minute stretch.

    The first came on what was a gorgeous snipe from Bruins fourth-line center Johnny Beecher.

    The goal, which was a product of the Stars giving Beecher way too much time and way too much space, was good for the New York-born center’s first NHL goal. It also made him the first Bruins first-round pick to score their first NHL goal with the club since Jakub Zboril scored his first career goal last November.

    Beecher’s goal also came with an assist from Hampus Lindholm, which was good for his second of the season, and his second in as many games amid what’s been a quiet start to his 2023-24 season.

    And then Mason Lohrei, skating in just his third NHL game, decided to up the ante with a marker of his own.

  • Hit with an excellent pass from Danton Heinen, the 6-foot-4 Lohrei showed the promise he displayed at Ohio State (and Green Bay before that) and wasted no time with an absolute rip through the Stars’ Jake Oettinger.

    It’s the offensive instincts that made Lohrei a late-preseason contender for a roster spot out of the gate, and what the Bruins hope Lohrei brings to the left side of the franchise’s defense corps in the now and for the foreseeable future regardless of how long this current run with the club ends up lasting.

    With the goal, Beecher and Lohrei became the first pair of B’s rookies to score their first NHL goals in the same game since Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy scored on Opening Night back in 2017.

  • Nov 6, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) attempts to poke the puck past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

    Nov 6, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) attempts to poke the puck past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)

  • But there’s no denying that Swayman was the story in this contest.

    Hit with 37 shots by the night’s end, Swayman allowed just two goals in the winning performance, the second of which was a downright unstoppable deflection from 30 feet out from the Stars’ Joe Pavelski, and with Dallas on a 6-on-5 advantage late in regulation and in search of a spark.

    Swayman even got involved in a bit of the rough stuff, too, as he handed out some post-whistle smacks to Dallas captain Jamie Benn after what he felt like a late dig into his pads.

    With the win, Swayman improved to 6-0-0 on the campaign, while his save percentage continue to hover above .950, with Monday’s performance ‘dropping’ him from a .954 to a .952. It’s still the best figure in all of hockey.

    The Bruins will return home for a Thursday night head-to-head with the Islanders.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Bruins. 

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Yell at him on Twitter/X: @_TyAnderson.

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