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The Bruins’ win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday at the Garden may not have been pretty or particularly artful.
But it was the kind of win they’ll need to manufacture come April.
Playing a stingy, tight-checking Jets team that, by coach Jim Montgomery’s estimation, “embarrassed” the B’s when the teams played in Winnipeg a month ago, the B’s grinded out a 4-1 victory over the Jets.
The B’s took a 2-1 lead into the third period, withstood a Winnipeg push before they finally nailed it down with a late Jake DeBrusk goal. Brad Marchand added an empty-netter to finish it off for the B’s fifth straight win. Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves, 11 in the third period.
The Bruins seemed to pick up where they left off in the rout over the Canadiens on Saturday night as they threw a good forecheck at the Jets early on and got on the board just 2:20 in the game. The B’s third line had the Jets hemmed in their own with both Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie keeping the play alive until Frederic fed a wide open Jakub Lauko for his second goal in three games.
But while the B’s put in the work for their goal, Winnipeg was gifted the equalizer 1:56 later. Brad Marchand tried to make a slick redirect on a breakout, but it went into the middle of the ice where Nic Ehlers pounced on it. He got it back to Dylan DeMelo at the blue line and the defenseman fired a shot that Vladislav Namestnikov deflected past Jeremy Swayman.
The B’s, however, regained the lead before the period was out when Charlie Coyle deflected a Hampus Lindholm shot/pass past Connor Hellebuyck with 1:34 remaining in the period.
In a scoreless second period, the B’s had several extended shifts in the Winnipeg zone and outshot the Jets 10-4, but nothing was getting through to Hellebuyck without a fight. And while the B’s had a decided edge in play over 40 minutes, they went into the third period with a slim one-goal lead.
The Jets surged to start the third and Swayman was forced to make a couple of solid saves. The B’s eventually found their legs and pushed back. Eventually Lauko drew a penalty in the neutral zone with 7:32 left in regulation.
But the B’s could do nothing with it and, with 23 seconds left on the PP, Lindhollm was called for interference.
Finally, seconds after the Jets went on the PP, Jake DeBrusk gave te B’s some breathing space. Morgan Geekie took the puck to the net and Hellebuyck kicked out the original offering but DeBrusk followed to snap it into the low far corner with 5:25 left in the third.
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