Here are five thoughts from the third period and overtime with the Bruins taking a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes after 60 plus minutes of action at PNC Arena.
1) Where would the Bruins be without the kids this month? Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak are the two goal-scorers in the second half of a back-to-back game where the B’s clearly didn’t have their legs. Perhaps Pastrnak had a little extra jump in the extra session after sitting for long stretches of the third period when the B’s were just holding on to get to OT. Two points and a plus-2 for Pastrnak in this one on a day they really needed him badly.
2) Ten generated shot attempts and an assist in 22:24 of ice time for Torey Krug, who is turning his game up a notch with Dougie Hamilton out of the lineup. He was caught up ice on Carolina’s goal in the second period, but he isn’t making many of those mistakes in these games with his ice time way up.
3) Ottawa is helping the Bruins in a major way now. Two losses in a row to the Maple Leafs and the Panthers. It looks like the Hamburglar magic is wearing off up there, I guess.
4) A goal and seven shots on net for Nate Gerbe, who was also tangling with Brad Marchand around the net in scrums in a battle of hockey smurfs. He’s turned into a good little player in Carolina.
5) The B’s improve to 5-8-2 on the second half of the back-to-backs, and things have gotten a lot better for them as some of the young legs have helped improve that number.