BOSTON — Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk scored two goals Saturday night, helping lead the charge in Boston’s victory over the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden.
The 34-year-old isn’t exactly known for his ability to score, but there’s been a notable change in his offensive approach recently, which is something Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery noticed during the two-goal performance.
“He’s gained a lot of confidence in how we want to play,” Montgomery told reporters postgame. “His brain is elite, so it allows us to get into advantageous spots. That’s the difference we’re seeing in him now.”
It was nice that Shattenkirk could get on the board twice, but we’re sure he would have been happy with just one. It was his 100th career goal, after all.
Shattenkirk had been sitting on No. 99 for a few weeks, last scoring on Dec. 9. He wasn’t worrying, though, knowing the milestone would come eventually.
“I think, more than anything, I’m hoping that I score,” Shattenkirk told NESN.com postgame. “… It’s always nice to chip in and help the team. I wasn’t going into each game expecting to hit it. I’m not (David Pastrnak). If I don’t have a goal, I’m not like, ‘Damn, I didn’t get it tonight.’
“You know it’s going to come eventually, so I just stuck with it. It’s a great milestone, something I’m proud of and my teammates showed a lot of love for me.”
Here are more notes from Saturday night’s matchup between the Bruins and Devils:
— Jake DeBrusk seemed to realize Shattenkirk had reached a milestone right away, plucking the souvenir from the net immediately after Boston’s group hug. The 34-year-old scored again, but it didn’t draw as much attention.
— DeBrusk had a nice night himself, recording multiple points for the second time in as many games. It’s the first time he’s done that since February, according to Ty Anderson of 98.5.
— Charlie McAvoy was involved in an awkward collision with Linus Ullmark in the closing stretch, leaving the game altogether. It looked much worse than it was, however.
— Georgii Merkulov debuted Saturday, making a positive impression on Montgomery in the process.
— The Bruins are back in action Sunday, as they’ll take on the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Boston and Detroit will drop the puck at 5 p.m. ET, following an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
