Jagr makes his debut for Bruins
Final Score: Boston Bruins 1, New Jersey Devils 0
Jaromir Jagr’s first goal in a Boston uniform was not one he will brag about at the end of his Hall of Fame career. But, it was all the B’s needed to win in his debut.
Jagr deflected the puck into the net off his skate for the game’s only goal, and Tuukka Rask stopped 40 shots for his third shutout of the season on Thursday night as Boston beat New Jersey 1-0.
Highlights:
- The Bruins notched their sixth straight win over the Devils and are 10-1 in the last 11 games against New Jersey. The B’s are also 7-0-1 on their past eight home games and are riding a three game winning streak.
- Coach Claude Julien had some new lines as Patrice Bergeron is out indefinitely with a concussion and players have been added to the lineup with Jagr and Kaspars Daugavins. Jagr was on the left wing on a line with Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand. Daugavins skated on a line with Rich Peverley in the middle and Jay Pandolfo on the right.
- Fans, some wearing mullet wigs, gave Jagr a standing ovation when he took the ice for his first shift in the first period and chanted his name after the goal.
Players of the Game:
- Tuukka Rask made his first start since backing up Anton Khudobin in the previous two games. The B’s were outshot 17-6 in the first period, but thanks to Rask they were still tied 0-0 headed to the second period. Rask made two point-blank pad saves midway through the opening frame and held the Devils off the scoreboard.
- Jaromir Jagr received a centering pass from Marchand and deflected it off his skate to give the B’s a 1-0 lead with 80 seconds into the second period. Jagr is 10th on the NHL career list with 1,680 points over a 19-year career. After stints with the Capitals, Rangers, Flyers and Stars, Dallas sent him to Boston on Tuesday for two prospects and a draft pick.
Quote of the Game:
“They always say you’ve got to drive to the net. Now I know why,” said the Jagr on his goal. “If I’d known when I was 20, I’d have 100 more goals now.”
Looking Ahead:
The Bruins (24-8-4) will travel to Montreal on Saturday to face off against the Canadiens (24-8-5) for the fourth and final game of the regular season. The puck will drop at 7:00 p.m. at the Bell Centre. The B’s are one point behind the Habs in the Northeast Division standings with 52 points. The two teams last met on March 27 and the Habs have gone 2-1 in the last three match-ups.
