Bruins outlast New Jersey, win 1-0

Jaromir Jagr prepares for his first game in Boston.
(Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins picked up their third straight victory Thursday night, beating the New Jersey Devils, 1-0. With the win, the B’s improved to 24-8-4 on the season. Jaromir Jagr and Tuukka Rash both played integral roles in powering the Black-and-Gold past the Devils. Despite allowing 40 shots, the Bruins in many ways, took yet another step in the right direction.

Boston and New Jersey played to a scoreless tie in the opening period. The B’s are now 12-3 when heading into the second frame tied 0-0. It was Bruins newcomer Jaromir Jagr who scored the game’s lone goal. Just 1:20 into the second, Jagr deflected a Brad Marchand centering pass off his skate and by Brodeur. By no means was it anything to write home about. Never the less, it gave the Bruins two more clutch points and won them the game.

Jaromir Jagr’s presence in the Bruins lineup was felt throughout the TD Garden. The sold out crowd greeted the 19-year veteran with a standing ovation and then chanted “JA-GR” loudly as he scored his first goal wearing the Spoked-B. His infectious demeanor reflected positively upon his teammates.

Following Jagr’s score, Boston immediately responded and bounced back from a ghastly first period effort. New Jersey outshot Boston in the period 17-6. The B’s fed off of Jagr’s goal, evening up the play, and producing many more scoring opportunities. Even the Bruins dreaded power play showed a vast improvement. Jagr and his line mates controlled possession on the man advantage, nearly scoring multiple times.

The man of the night was Tuukka Rask. The Bruins net minder returned to his starting role, exercising great authority. Rask turned away 40 Devil shots and several quality chances in the contest’s closing seconds. After sitting in favor of Anton Khudobin in the past two outings, Rask reminded Bruins nation, his teammates, and most importantly Claude Julien that he is still the number 1.

Granted fluky things will happen throughout the course of a condensed schedule, but giving up 97 combined shots on goal in two games is an alarming statistic. The Boston defense again looked out of sorts, allowing several New Jersey counter rushes. It’s not something to panic over because the Bruins are a notoriously sound defensive team.

The wide-open, end-to-end style of hockey that has been on display of late has not proved costly. The B’s need to be thankful for that. Wade Redden will likely play Saturday night and will help strengthen the Boston defense. Anton Khudobin and Tuukka Rask are performing at a world-class level, literally robbing the opposition on what has become a nightly basis.

Patrice Bergeron’s absence was a major contributing factor in New Jersey producing so much offense. He is normally a face-off winning machine. With him out, the Devils were able to retain the puck and produce several more shots than they normally would be allowed.  The hockey gods must have been watching over the B’s tonight, as New Jersey hit the post twice.

The new look Bruins prevailed and that’s all that matters at the end of the day. Peter Chiarell’s trade for Jaromir Jagr immediately paid dividends. Boston has now knocked off the Devils in 6 consecutive tries. The B’s will now turn their attention to the practice rink, make the necessary adjustments, and prepare for the hated Canadiens. First place will be on the line when the Bruins invade Bell Centre. Expect yet another titanic battle between the two sides.