Bruins Go 3-2-1 During Brad Marchand's Six-Game Suspension, Capped By Blowout Win Over Avalanche
BOSTON (CBS) -- Brad Marchand's six-game suspension for punching and high-sticking Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry was the last thing the Bruins needed. Yet despite missing their best player, the Bruins did all right for themselves.
The B's blew out the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche in a Monday matinee 5-1 at TD Garden, giving them a 3-2-1 record during Marchand's absence.
Sunday's win featured two goals from David Pastrnak and one goal apiece for Patrice Bergeron, Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle. Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, improving to 3-0-1 during the Marchand suspension.
Coming out of the stretch with a 3-2-1 record didn't appear to be in the cards after the first Marchand-less game, a 6-0 thumping at home at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Bruins then eked out a 2-0 win in Ottawa before losing in a shootout to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden and losing 4-1 to the Islanders two days later.
But the Bruins once again did enough to beat Ottawa on Saturday night before returning home to beat the Avalanche on Monday.
The Avs entered Monday with 76 points, most in the NHL and most in the Western Conference by a whopping 11 points.
Marchand unsuccessfully appealed his suspension, with commissioner Gary Bettman's ruling coming down on Friday night, thus forcing to the top-line winger to miss the final two games of his suspension.
The Bruins are now 29-17-4, 10 points ahead of the Red Wings for the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 32 games to play. The Bruins now head out on a six-game road trip that will take them through Seattle, San jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Las Vegas and Columbus. They'll return home on March 7 to host the Kings.