Here are my talking points from the Bruins' rout of the Wild:
GOLD STAR: Torey Krug helped the Bruins jump all over the Minnesota Wild from the get-go. He scored the game's first two goals for Boston, setting the tone as they added four more. With seven goals now, Krug seems like he’s going to be a lock for at least 10 goals and 50 points. That's important for him in a contract year, with free agency potentially right around the corner. Krug finished with four points and a plus-2 rating in 19:09 of ice time, four shot attempts and a blocked shot, and spearheaded the offense for a Bruins team that seems to have really found their mojo in the second half. In a real positive for Krug as well, two of his four points came during even strength, rather than everything flowing through the power play.
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BLACK EYE: The penalty kill for the Wild was atrocious, stopping just one of Boston's four power plays. The Bruins needed very little time on the man-up, building a 4-0 lead in the second period on the strength of those three power play scores. Amazingly, the Bruins only needed nine power play shots in those four opportunities to score the three goals. They really dominated the special teams battle for the second time in as many nights. There was some softness right in the middle of the Minnesota penalty kill, and it was an equally black mark that the Wild committed three offensive zone penalties that ultimately led to those power play goals.
TURNING POINT: The Bruins pulled away in the second period, outshooting the Wild 12-8 and slapping those three power play goals. Krug and Brad Marchand exchanged passes for matching power play goals just 1:16 apart in the second period to take the game to a 3-0 lead. At that point, the Wild looked shell-shocked, and it seemed like they punted away the game. The physical element lessened, the scoring chances dried up for Minnesota and they let things slip away from them completely. The second period has been a problem at times for the B’s this season, but it was a difference-making time for them on Saturday night.
HONORABLE MENTION: Marchand had scored just one goal during the month of January, an empty-netter at that. He'd been struggling for the better part of two months with creating his offense and playing his game, but it seems to have all come back for him. Marchand dropped the gloves with Nikolaj Ehlers in a spicy performance on Friday night. Saturday night, he scored a goal, added a couple of points in 16 minutes of ice time and played the pest role to perfection, really getting under the skin of Wild players like Matt Dumba and Mikko Koivu. Marchand went through a stretch where he really seemed to be battling his offensive confidence, but it would appear those struggles are over now.
BY THE NUMBERS: 10-for-10 – the Bruins' penalty kill in the first two games out of the break. They have managed to completely shut down the power plays for the Jets and Wild in nabbing both wins on the quick road trip.
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QUOTE TO NOTE: “It’s nice to come back from the break. Our team is playing well and it’s nice to be benefitting from that.” –Brad Marchand on NESN, talking about the wins in Winnipeg and Minnesota coming out of the 10-day break.
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