BOSTON — When Joe Sacco took over as interim coach, the Bruins lost five in a row and fired Jim Montgomery.
Fast forward to Dec. 24 they’re in the midst of a five-game point streak, two points behind the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs and four points behind the first-place Florida Panthers while players like Elias Lindholm are finding their groove.
And after Monday’s 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals — a team that had just eight losses in regulation prior to puck drop — things seem to be trending upward for Boston.
“It’s trending in the right direction,” Sacco said after the game. “I think that’s the biggest thing. And there’s been a commitment from our players. There’s been a buy-in. And so we have a process that we go through every game and they’re checking most of the boxes. It’s not perfect every night and we know that there’s going to be games where you’re not at your best. But we show lately that when we’re not at our best we can find ways to win.
“But I like the mindset of the group and where we’re at right now,” he continued. “I like the way we’re defending. I think we gave up 11 shots (Monday) against a good hockey team. I know they played (Sunday) but that’s a good hockey team over there, one of the better teams in the league. So there’s a commitment, there’s a buy-in from our group. That’s what you see, that’s why you see the results.”
The Bruins look like a different team under Sacco. They’re playing hard and battling for 60 minutes. Even when they went down two forwards after David Pastrnak left with an upper-body injury and Oliver Wahlstrom received a game misconduct with the game tied 1-1, Boston found a way to pull out the win.
The penalty kill went 2-for-3 including killing off Wahlstrom’s five-minute major without allowing the Capitals to get a shot on net during that time. All told, Washington amassed just 11 shots, which is a testament to how well the defense played.
It also helps that Lindholm has been playing better of late, and Charlie Coyle has found chemistry with him and Brad Marchand as the second line right wing despite being a natural center. Marchand also looks to be playing better after at times looking like something was bothering him whether it was mental or physical.
But he’s been finding open lanes both on his shots and his passes to help give the Bruins wins.
“I just like the way he’s playing right now. He’s got more jump. He’s got more pace to the game,” Sacco said of Marchand. “He’s getting back into form now and you’re seeing the results.”
The Bruins are off until Friday due to the NHL’s holiday break. Lindholm admitted he wishes the break didn’t come at this point in the season so they can keep their momentum going, it will be good for the Bruins to get some rest and prepare for a home-and-home against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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