The 2019 Winter Classic was a great one for Boston Bruins fans. Boston defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 in an amazing New Years Day battle.
What a way to start the new year! It is 2019 and the Boston Bruins are 1-0. The Bruins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 in a very exciting game.
The atmosphere was amazing. Notre Dame Stadium was packed to the brim. It all started with the Bruins rocking their peaky blinders gear and you could see that this was a special game.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
There can sometimes be fatigue surrounding the Winter Classic. Ever since its inception, it has seemed that the NHL has been pushing more and more outdoor games. A lot of fans can remember a time when there were no outdoor games.
Still, this game seemed special. The pace of play was nearly the same, and the end result was awesome. This was a big step in the right direction for the Winter Classic.
I don’t know what it is about playing outdoors but players are a little slower and have to get used to the ice. The puck can bounce all over the place and make for some sloppy play.
Thankfully there wasn’t a lot of this. The weather was perfect with it being a 30-degree cloudy day. The conditions couldn’t have been any better.
Now let’s get to the game and talk about the 5 major takeaways from what was an awesome 2019 Winter Classic for the Boston Bruins.
1. Tuukka Rask was great
The No.1 star of the game has to be Tuukka Rask. After getting shellacked in his last Winter Classic appearance, Rask had a decent sized chip on his shoulder. After Tuesday it looks like Rask will have no nerves the next time he plays outdoors.
Rask was great stopping 36 shots. The only goal that you could possibly get mad was tipped in the front of the net. Rask was visibly upset, but I’m not going to get mad over a tipped shot.
This could be a major turning point for Rask. If he is able to play like this for the rest of the season I think Bruins fans will be happy.
After the game, Rask was oddly sentimental. He said that this could be his last outdoor game and that the next one he might be in the press box drinking a beer. Rask also is now the longest tenured goaltender in franchise history as he played in his 469th game.
All in all, it was a great day for Tuukka Rask.
2. Sean Kuraly is a goal scoring machine
I don’t know what has gotten into Sean Kuraly, but he needs to keep his daily routine for the rest of the season. In Kuraly’s last 2 games he has managed to score a goal.
Kuraly had another hard-earned goal. He fought in front of the net and was able to put home the rebound to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead with 9 minutes left in the game.
I think that Kuraly is an underrated part of the Bruins lineup. He is a quality bottom 6 forward. Kuraly knows how to lay into guys and can also be a quality player in the offensive zone.
So far this season Kuraly has 4 goals and 6 assists. That isn’t bad for what is considered the Bruins 4th line center.
The Chris Wagner move seems to be working wonders because Kuraly and Wagner love playing with one another. They complement each other so well and consistently have quality performances.
3. David Pastrnak was flying
It shouldn’t be a surprise to Boston Bruins fans, but David Pastrnak had a great game. The winger continued to add to his impressive numbers.
More from Boston Bruins
- Boston Bruins fans better be ready for a bridge year
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Why letting Tyler Bertuzzi walk is a big mistake
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Milan Lucic back returns to the Black & Gold express
- Boston Bruins Draft class 2023: Grades & thoughts on draft selections
- Boston Bruins win 3 big awards at NHL Awards Gala: Thoughts & reactions
Pastrnak had a goal and his assist on Tuesday. Like a lot of the goals that were scored, it was a pretty gritty goal.
The Bruins were on the power play in the 1st period and Patrice Bergeron fired the puck towards the net. Before the puck reached the net, Pastrnak stopped the puck and snuck it by Cam Ward (who apparently is still playing in the NHL).
This has just been an amazing season for Pastrnak. He has 24 goals 26 assists this season. Pastrnak has been the Boston Bruins MVP so far this season.
Pastrnak also had a quality celly doing his best Evgeny Kuznetsov impression.
I think David Pastrnak will have to use those special Pasta sticks for the rest of the season.
4. Selke, Selke
That was what Tuukka Rask muttered into the mic after Patrice Bergeron was done answering a question in the post-game press conference.
Patrice Bergeron showed why he will be a Boston Bruins legend. Bergeron isn’t just a great offensive player, he is good on defense as well.
We saw this when Patrice Bergeron scored a major goal in the 2nd period.
David Pastrnak misplayed the puck on the power play and the Blackhawks looked like they were going to go up 3-1, but they forgot about Bergeron.
Bergy raced back and was able to create a turnover. That turnover would lead to Bergeron having a redirected puck land on his stick and he put it home to tie the game.
Bergeron has missed a good amount of time due to injuries but is still one of the Bruins top scorers. He has 13 goals and 20 assists this season.
RELATED PRODUCT
Fubo TV NHL 7-Day Free Trial - Watch The NHL Live And On Demand
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
You can always depend on Patrice Bergeron to make the right play at the right time. The NHL might as well give him the Selke Award right now.
5. Brad Marchand dazzles in his Winter Classic debut
The game ended in amazing fashion. Brad Marchand put home an empty-netter and secured the win for the Boston Bruins. I would call that a pretty good debut for Marchy in the Winter Classic.
It is always good to see the entire first line score. The line is absolutely dominant.
Now Marchand has 13 goals and 29 assists on the season. Boston will always love Marchand because, for all of the stupid stuff he may do, he always provides for the team.
Overall this was an amazing Winter Classic for Boston Bruins fans. The Bruins were able to secure another 2 points and the team was scoring at a wonderful rate. Also, Tuukka Rask was looking like the goaltender that we know and love.
Now Boston kicks off a nice little homestand as they play 4 straight games at TD Garden. Hopefully, Boston will get on a nice little winning streak to kick off 2019.