CSNNE's Joe Haggerty takes a look at the highlights -- and the lowlights -- of the Bruins' 4-3 victory over the Devils Thursday night.
GOLD STAR
Who else but David Krejci? He potted the first goal of the game, he rifled home the game-tying score in the third period and then he managed to lift a puck over Martin Brodeur for the OT game-winner at the end of a long shift. David Krejci now has 16 goals on the season and has three during one game in the month of March after only netting two during the entire month of February. It certainly appears as if the playoff version of Krejci has entered the building and he can make a difference for the Black and Gold.
BLACK EYE
Joe Corvo turned a puck over in the neutral zone that led to New Jerseys first goal and then he was nowhere near the net for the Devils second goal after getting pulled from his pairing with Dennis Seidenberg. Claude Julien talked about the soft goals that the Bruins allowed in the second period postgame, and he spoke with his coaching by benching Corvo for the first 6 minutes of the final period. He was forced to go back to the struggling defenseman when Andrew Ference suffered a lower body injury, but it appears Corvo could be headed for a healthy scratch sooner rather than later.
TURNING POINT
The Bruins could have packed it in after the second period when they were stormed by a desperate New Jersey bunch, and found themselves trailing yet again going into the final 20 minutes. But the Bs talked about renewing the good effort that had put them on top in the first period, and they managed to break through for David Krejcis second goal tie it up. They only had six shots in the third period, but the one Krejci shot was the only score that counted.
HONORABLE MENTION
Zdeno Chara played a heavy 26 plus minutes as defensemen were either struggling or injured in the final period, and assisted on two of Bostons four goals including the overtime game-winner. It was Chara crashing the net with his 6-foot-9 frame who drew plenty of defensive attention, and it was the defenseman who blocked five shots and doled out a pair of hits during an active evening. While Chara and the Bruins struggled in the middle of February, both seem ready to break out with only 20 games left in the season.
BY THE NUMBERS
4-0the Bruins record against the New Jersey Devils this year with a season sweep for the first time theyve swept the Devils since the 1985-86 NHL season.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Were at our best when were moving our feet and playing that high-tempo kind of game. I think thats what got us started, especially with that first shift and that first goal. I was driving the net and Segs Seguin used his speed down the wall. It was good to have that and we definitely got to keep that up. Milan Lucic talking about the speed of Tyler Seguins skating affecting their line in a very positive way.