Happy Hour
A Brews & Bruins Brews News Production
Remember me? I’m Lanci and I used to be around here a lot more often. Well, this is the first thing that I’ve written for the Brews & Bruins website, but I’ve been on the show as a guest about 50-something times by now— I don’t know, I haven’t gotten around to updating that chart yet.
Anyway, I’m back.
After spending last season with the— in the Metropolitan Division— I’ve returned to Boston to go to grad school and keep track of the vibes this season in what is totally not a rip-off of The ScorchStack or anything.
In my defense, I was going to send the good people of Scorch a pitch about a year ago, then I got a job (that prevented me from making regular content).
So, let’s see what happened last year… …surely nothing that impressive— wait, the Boston Bruins won how many games? They had how many points? David Pastrnak scored how many goals? (The answers are 65, 135 and 61, respectively, if you’re wondering.)
Boy, I can’t wait to talk to Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí about all of this and reminisce— wait, THEY WHAT?!?! Retired? IN THIS ECONOMY (Editor’s note: Really? A cheap meme reference? Yes, because this is like The ScorchStack. Overruled, turn in your work laptop now. Our legal department cannot afford a cease and desist from The ScorchStack’s legal team. Krayden said it was O.K. No, do not listen to Krayden— wait, are we stealing their bit entirely now? Anyway.)
Wait, so who’s left? Milan Lucic? He’s back!?! What year is it? Wait, don’t answer that. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up or influence it in any way.
For the record, part of my pitch for The ScorchStack included a bit about Lucic and alluded to what he means to the city of Boston, but now he’s back where he belongs, so I don’t even have to submit any pretend trade proposals stapled to my spec script or whatever.
All’s well that ends well.
Welcome home, Looch. There’s an Italian sub waiting in my fridge if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood.
I just realized I didn’t even touch on the fact that this season marks the 100th season of Boston Bruins hockey. Happy centennial. Let me know when they remake Bicentennial Man but it stars David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman or someone.
LAST CALL (the week—roughly— in review)
The Boston Bruins kicked off their centennial campaign with an Opening Night victory against Chicago on Wednesday, Oct. 11th.
Connor Bedard scored his first career National Hockey League goal, so that’s neat if you like Chicago, but Matt Poitras notched his first career NHL point with an assist on Trent Frederic’s first goal of the season as the Bruins tied the game, 1-1, before David Pastrnak added a pair of goals (including an empty-net goal) to give Boston a, 3-1, win in the effort.
Milan Lucic also picked up a point with an assist on Pastrnak’s first goal, which marked Lucic’s first point in his first game back in the spoked-B, while Linus Ullmark turned aside 20 out of 21 shots faced for a .952 save percentage in the victory.
The B’s then hosted the Nashville Predators three days later and won, 3-2, on the heels of a two-goal game from affordable offseason addition via free agency and University of New Hampshire product, James van Riemsdyk.
Pastrnak also contributed another goal in his campaign to de-throne Connor McDavid of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy title (McDavid is the defending trophy winner with 64 goals last season to Pastrnak’s 61).
Jeremy Swayman made his regular season debut in net and stopped 34 out of 36 shots for a .944 save percentage in the win.
Boston had four days off before kicking off their first road trip of the season—a four-game stint through California and Illinois, beginning in San Jose last Thursday before swinging through Los Angeles on Saturday, Anaheim on Sunday and capping things off Tuesday night in Chicago.
The Bruins amassed a three-goal lead by the end of the second period against the Sharks before Ullmark’s shutout bid was cut short due to Anthony Duclair’s first goal of the season, but Boston still pulled off a, 3-1, win in the process.
Brad Marchand, van Riemsdyk and Pastrnak notched the goals for the B’s, while Ullmark made 26 saves.
Boston downed the Kings, 4-2, afterwards with Marchand tallying a pair of goals, Pastrnak notching his fifth of the year and Morgan Geekie recording his first as a Bruin. Swayman made 32 saves on 34 shots against in the win.
After trailing, 1-0, in Anaheim and looking flat against the Ducks on the second night of back-to-back games, Matt Poitras scored a pair of goals less than four minutes apart to spark a, 3-1, comeback victory for the Bruins— notching his first and second career NHL goals in the process.
Marchand put things away with an empty net goal, while Ullmark amassed 30 saves on 31 shots faced for a .968 save percentage in the win.
Finally, the Bruins blanked Chicago, 3-0, Tuesday night at United Center while all 32 NHL teams were in action in the league’s first “Frozen Frenzy” promotion of the season, courtesy of the ESPN marketing department.
Pavel Zacha notched his first of the year on a deflection to give the B’s a, 1-0, lead in the first period shortly after Connor Bedard thought he gave Chicago the game’s first lead, but Boston’s ensuing coach’s challenge overturned the goal by virtue of a Chicago player having been offside upon zone entry.
Poitras slipped a nifty breakaway goal past Petr Mrazek to boost the Bruins’ lead to two goals before Trent Frederic made it a three-goal deficit less than a minute later.
Swayman made 23 saves and notched his 10th career shutout in the process as Boston finished the road trip 4-0-0 to improve to 6-0-0 overall on the season.
The B’s return home Thursday night to host the Anaheim Ducks and start a four-game homestand in the process with the Detroit Red Wings in town Saturday and Florida Panthers paying a visit to TD Garden on Oct. 30th for the first time since eliminating Boston in Game 7 of their 2023 First Round matchup.
Boston rings in November with a matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs next Thursday (Nov. 2nd).
HOMEBREWIN’/BAKED BEANS (scattered thoughts on recent happenings)
Matt Poitras is six games into his nine-game free trial before the Boston Bruins either have to subscribe and burn a year from his entry-level contract in the process or send him back to the Guelph Storm, where he could end up playing the rest of the year in the Ontario Hockey League and develop further as a 19-year-old prospect that is, perhaps, just too good for Junior hockey, but too young for the American Hockey League (AHL).
You can thank the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and National Hockey League’s (NHL) agreement that (in short) restricts players under-20 without collegiate eligibility (because they’ve signed a professional contract, thereby losing their “amateur” status) or being loaned to a team in Europe to report back to the major junior team to which their rights belong until they’re too old for the CHL.
Though Poitras may not officially be the Second Coming of Hockey Jesus himself, Patrice Bergeron, it is written in the prophecy of the Church of David Krejčí that “The Next One will arise to the challenge of filling in the needs of a top-six center in what non-believers may otherwise call ‘the End Times’ or ‘it’s so over’.” Krech 4:6
In other words, as long as he’s not a liability, he’s sticking around. Let him live. Let him learn. Let him entertain you.
“Forgive the Next One if they falter to the third line for a night or sit from the press box to observe and atone for the sins of having never played a full NHL season before.”
Poitras has four points (three goals, one assist) in six games so far, while Chicago’s, Connor Bedard— the 1st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and deservedly hyped next superstar of the league— only has four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games thus far.
Advantage Poitras in the race for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie first-year player of the year. That’s what we call offensive efficiency at its finest.
As for Jake DeBrusk, simply set multiple alarms on your phone next time you’re in Los Angeles and make sure it’s at the highest volume. Every now and then I’ll sleep through my first alarm too, but that’s why my second alarm is usually “Cochise” by Audioslave so I’ll wake up (playoff ready).
Tune in next time when I’ll have a pretty good reason for being late on the Brews News game (apologies to “The Early Years” night fake magazine cover that I have in my head right now, but I should really finish packing, loading up my car and driving to my next destination first). IOU one wicked cool thing, Internet.