Post-Game Talk: GAME 21 - BRUINS 1 Utah 0
- Thread starter Fenway
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Mark Kastelic ‘changed the tide’ for Bruins by way of several punches on Thursday
Brad Marchand credited Mark Kastelic for giving the Bruins the spark they needed off of two fights in Thursday's win over Utah.
www.boston.com
If the 2024-25 Bruins are going to claw themselves out of an early-season malaise, it’s likely going to fall on star players like David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman, Charlie McAvoy, and Brad Marchand to lead the charge.
But on Thursday night, Marchand was quick to give credit to fourth-line forward Mark Kastelic — he of just 20 games played in a Bruins sweater and with 32 career points on his NHL ledger — as the one who dragged a desperate roster into the fight against Utah.
Kastelic may not have factored into the scoresheet in Boston’s 1-0 victory over Utah. But the 25-year-old forward gave the Bruins the spark they needed by dropping the gloves twice with Robert Bortuzzo — setting the tone in a must-win matchup at TD Garden.
“Huge. That emotion and energy and physicality that he can bring. He changed the tide of the game,” Marchand said of Kastelic. “Got us feeling emotionally engaged, and you need that throughout the course of the year. Guys like him, you never really, truly understand how valuable they are. They’re the guys that really carry the team in the toughest times and in playoff time.
“You always see it — depth guys and those emotional guys. They have the ability to change the course of a game in a physical shift or a tough shift, and the way that he plays the game the right way — he’s a guy that we can look to be a leader and a guy that we can emulate with the way that he plays emotionally and wears his heart on his sleeve. He did a great job tonight.”
Kastelic has already been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise underachieving Bruins roster this fall. Along with adding plenty of thump further down the lineup (79 hits in 20 games), he’s chipped in with three goals and seven points.
But with the Bruins already in need of a lift in Joe Sacco’s first game as Boston’s interim head coach, Kastelic provided a jolt to the Garden crowd after trading a few punches with Bortuzzo on just his second shift of the evening.
Bortuzzo jumped off the bench and immediately grappled with Kastelic — with the duo exchanging a few blows before dropping to the frozen sheet. The second round easily went to Kastelic in the middle period — with the 6-foot-4 forward dropping the Utah defenseman to the ice with a couple of heavy hooks.
“Just from playing hard,” Kastelic said of the reasoning behind his two scraps with the 6-foot-4 Bortuzzo. “The first one just happened and the second one was just being passionate about the game and not trying to let anybody push me around. So, I think that’s why you kind of saw that.”
“I definitely feel like the guys in this room respect that a lot, which I appreciate,” Kastelic said of dropping the gloves.” And I’m just trying to make an impact the best I can in any way, shape or form.
“And I definitely feel the energy from the crowd and the fans, and I mean, we got the win, and that’s the most important thing. And hopefully I kind of fueled the guys a little bit, but at the same time, it’s just kind of part of my game.”
The Bruins have a long way to go if they want to quiet doubts about the team’s ability to right the ship.
But when Boston needed it the most, its fourth-line center delivered at a critical juncture of the team’s up-and-down season.
“I think everybody was just excited,” Kastelic said of starting anew amid a coaching change this week. “Just trying to kind of have a clean-slate approach to it. And I think that’s something — a little bit of energy has been lacking in the past.
“So I think [I’m] trying to make a conscious effort to bring extra energy and positivity and motivation to each and every game, and play with a lot of passion and be proud to wear the B.”
nORRis8
The NHL, the stupidest League ever.
Or(r).......go back to a rotation.
I know Swayman said he's coming in as "the guy" this year, "I'm elite" etc... but dude....ya gotta earn it. Thats the bottomline.
Plus he's still a RFA. His NTC does not come into affect till 2026-7.
bruins4thecup65
Registered User
- Jun 27, 2011
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Joe Sacco reflects on first win as Bruins interim head coach
Thursday wasn’t a typical gameday for Joe Sacco, who got his first win as Bruins interim head coach.
www.necn.com
BOSTON -- Joe Sacco's first game as the Boston Bruins interim head coach was a successful one.
The B's ended their three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night at TD Garden.
Sacco was elevated to interim head coach on Tuesday after the team fired Jim Montgomery. It's not his first time being an NHL head coach. He led the Colorado Avalanche for four seasons from 2009-10 through 2012-13. But as a Medford, Mass., native, this victory was definitely special.
"It feels pretty good, not gonna lie to you," Sacco said in his postgame press conference. "To get our guys a win, too, was even more important, to feel better about ourselves. And I think how we went about the game tonight was a business-like approach. I thought that we had a couple individuals that really brought some energy to lift the bench at certain moments during the game.
"Just a good effort all around from our guys. They really dug in, and we got some timely saves from (Joonas Korpisalo) when we needed them, especially towards the end there. A good effort from our group, and we were looking for that. We were looking for the passion and the emotion in our club, and we saw some of that here today."
Sacco is no stranger to gamedays with the Bruins. He's in his 11th season on the Bruins coaching staff, but the hours leading up to puck drop Thursday had a bit of a different feel for the 55-year-old.
"I tried to prepare the way I normally would, but obviously it was a different day for me because -- I actually stayed at the rink all day," Sacco said.
"Typically I go home in between the morning skate and the game, but I stayed out at Warrior (Ice Arena) today and was able to relax and get my thoughts together. I wanted to try to enjoy the day and the night, because I knew that this was the first one, and make sure I remembered it."
Bruins captain Brad Marchand gave Sacco a game puck in the locker room after the win:
The next challenge for Sacco and the Bruins is building some consistency.
I’ve watched Swayman since his UMaine days. I still believe in him and he will bounce back from whatever has him playing so lousy.
bruins4thecup65
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- Jun 27, 2011
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Take the body first ends the play
Take the body first ends the play
Repeat.
Take the body first ends the play
Repeat.
Hampus was our best dman by a landslide prior to his injury.
ODAAT
Registered User
hardly a symphonic effort but looked more engaged last night, Kastelic on his way to snagging 7th player award, 2 pts, let`s go!!
- Mar 8, 2011
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I actually loved his answer the other day in his presser. Along the lines of "I need to play at a higher standard and that is what Im going to do"
Kid exudes confidence. Im not concerned. We've seen what he can do.
For now, Im also not concerned with letting Korpi get some more time in net. I think it benefits the Swayman of now and later in the season.
Sevendust
Registered User
It´s a shame that Bob Essensa will never win the Jack Adams Award but he really should.
Saxon Eric
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- Dec 18, 2005
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Bortuzzo jumped Kastelic at the end of a shift while fresh off the bench. That must be what led to the 2nd fight?
Regardless it seems Kastelic is the only candidate for 7th player at this rate as others have said. Good for him and the fans.
Ottawa is a terrible team of individuals. Perhaps they need a new coach. Years of Buffalo style non support for goalies.
Regardless it seems Kastelic is the only candidate for 7th player at this rate as others have said. Good for him and the fans.
Ottawa is a terrible team of individuals. Perhaps they need a new coach. Years of Buffalo style non support for goalies.
Dueling Banjos
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- Oct 29, 2014
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Makes it is to move Swayman now, goalscoring is a need.
Swayman is still in training camp just ask any of his excuse makers.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Nah, he wasn't.
Lindholm has missed 4 games and still leads all defensemen with 30 giveaways.
He was also a -4.
Don't let the landslide bring him down.
Marchand always play hard no disputing that, but his shot is nonexistent, time to put him on the third line and get him off the power play, and like you mentioned about his hands , he does not handle the puck well and is turning it over. It happens to all athletes, nothing to be ashamed, the mistake would be not to recognize it and not brush it under the rug.
BruinDust
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- Aug 2, 2005
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Like Korpisalo, he's been just fine against the Utahs/Phillys/Seattles/ of the NHL.
The game on Monday was his first stinker vs. a team lower in the standings but CBJ can score despite the names on paper. Posted a 7 spot on TB last night. have scored 6 goals five times, and the 5 spot on Monday. It's defensively that has cost CBJ wins and points (68 goals allowed, 1 less than Boston). People just see the names and assume automatically that CBJ suck but offensively they don't suck.
Other than Game 1 (vs. FLA) and Game 5 (vs. Colorado) Swayman has gotten all the toughest starts. Dallas twice, Florida, Carolina, Toronto, etc. Some flat out brutal defensive efforts mixed in there.
Swayman will be fine, Korpisalo has been good but somewhat untested against top teams. We really won't know how much Sacco has improved the team defensively until they start playing some of the better teams. Even under Monty they were keeping the low scoring teams off the board.
The offense is still a dogs breakfast. At least they passed it better last night. That empty net sequence at the end defines the Bruins season thus far.
Korpisalo's play is just adding to the pressure Swayman is feeling, big contract, the other guy playing better, questions about missing camp, and some ill-advised comments by him and his agent, hope he is up to it.
TCB
Registered User
Me too and Kastellic play is making Freddy expendable, although he did seem to take the body more last night
You are right he does need to be better, but I thought last night, he had a little more jump to his game. I also think, he needs some help, by that I mean someone else that can put the puck in the net, time for Donnie to make that happen.
DaStinger
Permanent Interim
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