BOSTON — As his team continues to seek consistency, Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy hasn’t hesitated to shake up his lineup.
Sometimes it’s been in search of a spark. On Tuesday, it was to send a message.
Taylor Hall watched most of the second half of the third period, first from the penalty box and then from the bench, after a series of plays Cassidy didn’t like as the Bruins were attempting to hold a 3-2 lead.
“Turnovers at the blue line when you have the lead in the third. We’re all trying to buy in to play behind their defense unless you have a free pass to get through there,” Cassidy said. “So it’s just winning hockey. You want to play late in games, you’ve got to play winning hockey. Doesn’t matter who you are on the team and he got away from that.”
Hall had an assist, took two shots and finished two hits in the Bruins’ 3-2 win.
PERFECT IN BOSTON: Jeremy Swayman has played in the TD Garden when it was empty, partially full and sold out during his short professional career. The results have been the same every time – a Bruins victory.
The native of Alaska and former goalie for the University of Maine has found a home in the Boston net. The Bruins’ 3-2 win over Ottawa Tuesday improved his career record to 7-0-0 on Causeway Street.
“I love playing at home. It’s the best arena in the NHL,” he said. “It’s the best atmosphere you could ask for, so it’s fun coming home and winning in front of these fans.”
Swayman has allowed four goals in three home games with a .942 save percentage in the Garden this season. Last year he was 4-0 with a 0.98 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage playing there.
Swayman thrived in the third period Wednesday and stopped all 10 shots he saw.
“He shut the door when he needed to. Good for Sway,” Cassidy said. “You can’t let goals like that bother you.”
FREDERIC INJURED: Bruins forward Trent Frederic took a hard hit at center ice early from Ottawa’s Josh Brown in the second period and didn’t return.
Frederic, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound forward, began the game as the team’s fourth-line left winger alongside Thomas Nosek and Curtis Lazar.
PENALTIES: The good news for the Bruins was that they killed all six Senator power plays. The concerning part was that they committed six penalties.
“The penalty kill clears were a little better than the other night when they hurt us in Toronto,” Cassidy said.
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