Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway both made some good plays in their Bruins debuts on Saturday, but they were a little quiet overall. That was probably to be expected given that they had just flown cross-country the day before and had yet to practice or even have a morning skate with their new team.
Monday night’s 3-2 win over the Oilers offered a much better glimpse of what the two newest Bruins bring to the table.
For starters, they both registered their first point as a Bruin early in the game. Right after Connor McDavid gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead, Orlov and Hathaway set up a quick response from Tomas Nosek. Orlov, playing on his strong left side after starting on his off side Saturday, pinched down the wall and carried the puck in deep before sliding a pass to Hathaway at the left side of the net. Knowing he was under pressure, Hathaway made a nice one-touch pass to Nosek in front for the finish.
Orlov registered his second assist on the Bruins’ second goal, this time starting the play with some great defense. As McDavid carried into the Boston zone, Orlov read the Oilers superstar perfectly, intercepting a short pass intended for Kailer Yamamoto and immediately turning the puck up ice to Nick Foligno. A few seconds later, Foligno finished off a 2-on-1 with Charlie Coyle to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
Orlov and Hathaway made plenty of winning plays beyond the points, too. Orlov had several smooth breakout passes under pressure, displaying the poise he long showed in Washington. He broke up a couple other zone entries in addition to the one that led to Foligno’s goal, showcasing good gap control and an active stick.
Orlov also saw more of McDavid than any Bruin other than Charlie McAvoy, with whom he was paired. In the 8:42 of 5-on-5 ice time that Orlov and McDavid went head-to-head, the Oilers had just four shot attempts and two shots on goal. Orlov was on the ice for McDavid’s first goal, but wasn’t at fault on the play.
Hathaway didn’t get a second point like Orlov, but Pavel Zacha’s game-winning goal doesn’t happen without him and his linemates. Hathaway started an offensive-zone possession with a hard hit on Cody Ceci on the forecheck, and then he, Nosek and A.J. Greer went to work down low, pinning McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman in their own zone in the process.
The Bruins managed to get a full line change in with the Oilers’ top line still stuck on the ice being forced to defend. Eventually, David Pastrnak worked the puck towards the front of the net and Zacha whacked a loose puck past Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. The Czech line got the goal, but the fourth line deserves some effort points for wearing the Oilers’ stars down for them.
Hathaway was active on the forecheck throughout the game, which is his calling card. He also showed off his strong defensive play with a couple good backchecks, some nice wall work on the breakout, and a stellar PK shift to help kill the Oilers’ lone power play of the night.
Orlov and Hathaway’s transitions to the Bruins are by no means complete after just two games. They’re only going to get better and more comfortable with more games and more practice time (they’ve still barely had any of that, by the way). But if their starting point is what they showed Monday night, then the Bruins and their fans should be pretty excited about what’s to come.
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