BOSTON — If you were wondering whether or not the Bruins had the right mindset as they approach the postseason, perhaps captain Brad Marchand can put you at ease.
He laid it all out following the Bruins’ win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at TD Garden.
“We know what we have as a group,” Marchand said. “We’ve known that from day one, and regardless of how analytics look at our group, we believe in what we have. … If we execute the proper way, we have a great team.
“We get away from that and think we’re highly skilled team? We shoot ourselves in the foot. That’s not what our group is, it’s not how we’ve won at all this year. We win by committee, we win by structure. We’ve won by playing great defense. That’s how we’ve always done it.”
It was a concise message from Marchand and perhaps came at the perfect time, as Boston’s roster came into focus following Friday’s trade deadline. The Bruins have a couple of fresh faces, and the message they receive when walking into The Hub on Causeway is clear.
“We’ve believed in our group from day one, and we still do. It’s not about how you do in the regular season. It’s about how you do in playoffs. You just have to get there and anything can happen, and there’s so many different variables even when you get to that point that allows teams to have success or not. … We worry about what we can and that’s playing the right way.”
Here are more notes from Saturday afternoon’s matchup between the Bruins and Penguins:
— Bruins forward Pat Maroon and defenseman Andrew Peeke spoke with reporters for the first time Saturday, arriving in Boston after being acquired at the trade deadline. Maroon joked about his history with Bruins fans, while Peeke discussed having familiarity with the region due to a former teammate.
— David Pastrnak scored his 40th goal of the season in this one, marking the fourth time he’s done that in his career.
— Boston and Pittsburgh’s matchup was an ESPN exclusive, but you could have watched an alternate animated broadcast, as well. The “Big City Greens Classic 2” was featured on Disney Channel, and was full of fun moments.
Hampus Lindholm made his return from injury, displaying his value to the Bruins with a pair of assists.
It’s no secret Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark’s name was floated at the trade deadline, but he’s ready to move forward following a dominant performance.“I’m just happy to be here. This is the team I want to be on. I’m very fortunate to be part of this group, and ever since day one I’ve loved it. I’m very happy with where I am right now.” The Bruins will put a bow on their four-game homestand Monday, as they take on the St. Louis Blues at TD Garden. It’ll be Boston’s penultimate game against Central Division opponents this season, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, following an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.
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