Highlights from the Bruins' 1-0 win over the Devils

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FINAL SCORE: Bruins 1, Devils 0

IN BRIEF: The Bruins and Tuukka Rask were strong once again as they held on after an early first-period goal and extended their point streak with a win over the Devils. 

BRUINS RECORD: 39-17-9

HIGHLIGHTS

MARCHAND SCORES ON THE EARLY POWER PLAY

RASK STONES JESPER BRATT ON THE BREAKAWAY 

FROM JOE HAGGERTY

--In his 666th career game against the New Jersey Devils, Brad Marchand looks like he might have made a deal with somebody over the last few days. He was all over the ice in his 5:20 worth of playing time in the first period, scored a power play goal, had a penalty shot and led the Bruins with three shots on net. He looked like he had his good skating legs and the wrist shot right under the bar for his goal was as filthy as it gets, so it looks like Marchand is going to have one of those good nights tonight against New Jersey. He cooled down a bit after the impressive opening 20 minutes, but his goal was still holding up in the third period of a 1-0 game.

--Peter Cehlarik had the only two shot attempts for the third line in the first period, but they should stick with that combination for a while to see if they can generate some chemistry. The sheer size, strength and puck possession was something to watch in the first period as they continually wore down the Devils defenders by cycling the puck and keeping the pressure on them in the defensive zone. Things went awry for them in the second period as Charlie Coyle turned the puck over a few times and David Backes wasn’t really a factor offensively, but the potential is still there to have a big-bodied, puck possession line with those three players.  

--Brandon Carlo has noticeably upped his game lately and he’s doing it again tonight with six shot attempts, a hit, two blocked shots and a lot of rugged, heavy play in the defensive zone in his 15-plus minutes of ice time. As he continues to grow and mature as a player he’s turning into a very good defenseman for the Black and Gold. The offensive confidence is like the final piece to the puzzle, along with playing with a little bit more of a mean attitude. He’s doing both very well right now. 

--Tuukka Rask with a quiet, efficient 20-save shutout, but he did have a few saves with a higher degree of difficulty. One of those sneaky high degree of difficulty saves might have taken place at the end of the first period when Joey Anderson redirected one in close toward the net. Rask was able to smother that one. The Bruins did a pretty good job in front of Rask otherwise while liming an undermanned Devils bunch to just 20 shots on net, but Rask stepped up again in the third period of the 1-0 shutout win when he stopped Jesper Bratt on a breakaway after he was able to speed behind Zdeno Chara for the shot in all alone. With the shutout, Rask continues to play at an extremely effective pace for the Black and Gold.

--No shots on net in three periods for Danton Heinen, who appears to be starting to slide back a little bit in terms of performance after that initial burst skating with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. He did have five shot attempts with four of them getting blocked, including a point-blank bid at an empty net, but he didn’t seem to be playing with the same kind of assertiveness as in recent weeks. He’s been picking up assists in recent games, but he certainly isn’t playing with the same kind of nose for the net as he was earlier in his hot stretch. 

WHAT'S NEXT

Tuesday, March 5th: vs. Carolina, 7:00 p.m. (NESN)

Thursday, March 7th: vs. Florida, 7:00 p.m. (NESN)

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