After a plethora of trades the day before, the new-look Boston Bruins earned their first win by blanking the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-0, Saturday at Amalie Arena.
Jeremy Swayman made 26 saves in his first win since Feb. 4, and his fourth shutout of the season, with an overhauled roster in front of him after Bruins general manager Don Sweeney dealt Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, Justin Brazeau and Trent Frederic at the NHL trade deadline.
“You know what? We’re going to miss those guys so much,” Swayman told Emily Kaplan on the ABC broadcast following the win. “They laid the groundwork here, and it’s never going to be the same without them.
“But, it has to be up to us that have been here with them to continue their legacy, understand the next man up mentality and make them proud by the way we play, the way we compete, the way we prepare — what Bruins do.”
The Bruins’ new lineup included forwards Casey Mittlestadt, Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko and defenseman Henri Jokiharju. With no morning skate or practice, the newcomers were literally thrown into Boston’s system without preparation.
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“It’s just so good to see the guys that came in today,” Swayman said. “What a seamless transition, and they know the spot (in the standings) we’re in, so I’m really excited for the group that we have, and we just miss the hell out of the guys that are not here anymore.”
Swayman added: “It’s an incredible wave of emotion that you really can’t explain. It’s not fair, and it just goes to show what kind of human beings we have in this locker room, and I’m going to miss them a ton.
“… I’m really excited with the group we have and what we’re doing moving forward. I just couldn’t thank the boys for the effort tonight in front of me and getting the two points. I will go enjoy being in the room with them.”
More Bruins
Here are more notes from Saturday’s Bruins-Lightning game:
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— Cole Koepke opened and closed the scoring for Boston with two tallies in the shutout. The 26-year-old Minnesota native has recorded nine goals and five assists in 56 games for the Bruins this season.
— Mittlestadt made his way onto the score sheet in his Bruins debut by recording the secondary assist on Koepke’s second goal of the game. He registered one shot on goal, one hit and one blocked shot in 17:55 ice time.
— Mark Kastelic was an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick in the tilt with Tampa. The Bruins’ fourth-liner scored his fifth goal of the season to give Boston a 2-0 lead in the third period and dropped the mitts with Emil Lilleberg.
Kastelic had waited two months for his shot at Lilleberg after the Tampa Bay defenseman cross-checked him in the mouth in the Lightning’s win over the Bruins on Jan. 9 with 2.5 seconds remaining in the game.
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— The Bruins will look to build on their win in Tampa when they host the Florida Panthers in Boston on Tuesday. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game on NESN following an hour of pregame coverage.
