Here’s how Tyler Bertuzzi fared in Bruins’ debut vs. Rangers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON — It didn’t take long for Tyler Bertuzzi to get on the scoresheet in his debut with the Bruins on Saturday.
The newly acquired left wing picked up his first point as a Bruin when he raced to a puck behind the New York Rangers net and made a slick pass in front to Charlie Coyle, who beat goalie Igor Shesterkin to put Boston up 1-0 at 18:07 of the opening period.
Not only did Bertuzzi play well throughout the afternoon, the Bruins beat the Rangers 3-1 at TD Garden to extend their win streak to 10 games. Boston sits atop the NHL standings with a 49-8-5 record.
2023 NHL trade deadline winners and losers
The Detroit Red Wings traded Bertuzzi to the Bruins on Thursday in exchange for a 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The 28-year-old forward is one of three players, along with Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway, that Boston acquired prior to Friday’s trade deadline.
Here’s a recap of Bertuzzi’s debut with the Bruins.
Stats
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Shots: 1
PIM: 2
Ice time: 16:31
Bertuzzi scored a career-high 30 goals for the Red Wings last season, but he’s also a gifted playmaker, and his passing skills were on full display during Boston’s first goal Saturday.
The veteran left wing found Coyle all alone in front of the net for the Bruins’ best scoring chance of the game to that point, and the veteran center capitalized on the opportunity.
Bertuzzi was aggressive on the forecheck, he used his strength to maintain puck possession in the attacking zone and fought hard in front of the net for loose pucks. It was the type of gritty, efficient performance Bruins fans can expect to see from Bertuzzi on a consistent basis.
Teammates and Opposition
Bertuzzi was in the starting lineup at fourth-line left wing next to Tomas Nosek and Garnet Hathaway. However, he played the large majority of his 5-on-5 ice time (6:43 to be exact) at left wing on the third line alongside Coyle and Trent Frederic. This is the spot where Bertuzzi likely will see the most action going forward with Taylor Hall — who’s usually in the LW spot on the third line — currently on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
The Bruins had a 5-3 lead in shot attempts, a 3-1 edge in shots on net, a 3-1 advantage in scoring chances and a 1-0 goal differential with Bertuzzi and the third line on the ice at 5-on-5.
Bertuzzi also got a look late in the third period with David Krejci and David Pastrnak on the second line. This group, along with Charlie McAvoy, set up Boston’s fourth goal.
Bertuzzi and the B’s third line mostly played against the Rangers’ third line of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. Bertuzzi-Coyle-Frederic held New York’s third line scoreless, although Lafreniere did score twice — once on the power play and again at 5-on-5 versus Bertuzzi, Krejci and Pastrnak.
(All teammates and opposition stats via Natural Stat Trick)
Special Teams
Bertuzzi played 54 seconds on the Bruins’ first power play and 2:04 total with the man advantage. He spent a lot of time in front of the net, which is where Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said he was going to play. Montgomery noted that Bertuzzi has exceptional hand-eye coordination in front of the net. Bertuzzi is a battler in those tough areas of the ice and does a good job screening goalies.
Montgomery also said prior to Saturday’s matchup that the Bruins will work Bertuzzi into the penalty kill rotation at some point. Boston has the No. 1 ranked penalty kill and lots of players who can make a strong impact in that facet of the game. Bertuzzi joining that mix could help Montgomery reduce some of Bergeron’s and Marchand’s ice time as the B’s look to keep their roster as fresh as possible for the playoffs.
