Hockey could be a humbling sport, because the saying goes. It may maintain the promise of redemption, and that’s what Craig Smith discovered Thursday night time in Vegas.
Smith’s late gaffe in Anaheim led to a 4-3 loss on Tuesday, however the snake-bitten veteran broke out in an enormous approach on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena, notching a hat trick within the B’s spectacular 5-2 victory over the Golden Knights.
The B’s took a 2-1 lead into the third interval after Vegas acquired on the board late within the second interval, and the B’s saved their foot on the fuel. Brad Marchand was robbed by Robin Lehner with an important skate save after which Erik Haula missed an open web.
But David Pastrnak lastly pushed the B’s lead again to 2 on a partial break-in at 8:14. He made a pleasant transfer to the backhand to get Lehner to open his pads ever so barely and simply slipped his thirtieth objective of the yr via the opening to make it 3-1.
Smith then put the nail within the coffin along with his third objective of the sport with 5:21 left in regulation when he blistered a one-timer previous Lehner.
Vegas pulled Lehner early and acquired one again with a Jonathan Marchessault display shot with 3:22 left, however Pastrnak snuffed out any hopes of a miracle comeback with an empty-netter with 1:40 remaining.
Trent Frederic had a terrific night time, too, notching three assists, and Jeremy Swayman gave the sort of efficiency we’re getting used to, stopping 34-of-36 photographs, a lot of them high-quality possibilities.
The B’s performed a stable first interval and took a 1-0 lead on Smith’s first objective, one which got here in a well timed method in additional methods than one for the veteran.
The B’s had some good possibilities early, the perfect of which got here when Jake DeBrusk discovered himself on their lonesome in entrance of Lehner, however he inexplicably determined to drop it for Marchand. It was knocked away by Zach Whitecloud and the possibility went for naught. Whitecloud had already slashed DeBrusk and the penalty was known as, however the B’s couldn’t money in on the facility play.
But Smith did get the B’s the primary objective of the sport. The veteran wing appeared like he was decided to shed the goat horns he wore in Anaheim on Tuesday. He additionally hadn’t scored in a dozen video games. But at 13:18, he lastly broke that ice. Smith pressured a turnover within the impartial zone and Derek Forbort pushed the puck again as much as Frederic within the left wing. Frederic confirmed some endurance to feed it again to Smith within the center and he snapped a wrister previous Lehner.
Meanwhile, Swayman continued his glorious play within the first, turning apart all 12 photographs he noticed to protect the B’s slim lead going into the second.
He saved it up for many of the second interval. On an early Vegas energy play, Swayman made a highlight-reel blocker save on a Reilly Smith backdoor play. Later, he got here out of his web to make an enormous save on Shea Theodore, who loaded up from the excessive slot.
The B’s then doubled their lead at 11:03 on Smith’s second objective of the sport and eighth on the yr. Matt Grzelcyk made a terrific heads-up play on the blue line to carry onto the puck to permit Patrice Bergeron and DeBrusk to climb on the boards for a authorized change after which entered the zone. After Smith and Frederic did some crashing and banging behind the web (Smith additionally acquired away with a visit on Brayden McNabb), Charlie Coyle got here out with the puck alongside the left wing earlier than he discovered Smith, who had popped out on the fitting aspect after which snapped it over Lehner.
That was a profitable change. The B’s burned themselves late within the interval with a not-so-great one. As Grzelcyk was altering out on the fitting aspect, Charlie McAvoy fired a move to the deserted level and Jack Eichel pounced for a breakaway. Playing his first sport as a Golden Knight in opposition to the Bruins since his neck surgical procedure, the North Chelmsford native made a few strikes and appeared to lose management of the puck. That was sufficient to throw Swayman off and it slid previous him with 2:26 left within the interval, giving Vegas some life going into the third.
Source: www.bostonherald.com