In a game that will most be remembered for Tom Wilson's hit to Brandon Carlo's head, the Bruins responded well and came away with an emotional 5-1 victory at TD Garden Friday night.
Here are three key takeaways from the game:
1. Brandon Carlo leaves the game after dirty hit from Tom Wilson
If there was one certainty heading into this season with eight games scheduled against the Washington Capitals, it was that Tom Wilson would find a way to leave his mark. That’s exactly what happened Friday night at TD Garden.
With the Bruins leading 1-0 late in the first period, Wilson came charging in on the forecheck and followed through with a dirty hit to the head of a defenseless, vulnerable Brandon Carlo, who was pinned against the glass in a puck battle with Jakub Vrana.
After multiple replays of seeing the force of Wilson’s hit slam Carlo’s head against the glass, it’s apparent and safe to assume that the prognosis is likely a concussion.
If that’s the case, it’s hard to predict when Carlo may return to the lineup, but there’s no doubt that already without Jeremy Lauzon and Kevan Miller, the Bruins will sorely miss one of their key top-four defenseman for a stretch of time.
2. Jarred Tinordi sparks new teammates
After a strong first period, the Bruins elevated their skating game even more in the second period and made a point to finish every check in response to Wilson’s cheap shot on Carlo.
Newcomer Jarred Tinordi eventually dropped the gloves with Wilson and it seemed to uplift the entire Bruins bench.
With Carlo out for the game, and Tinordi in the box for fighting, the Bruins were forced to play with four defensemen and still managed to score three straight goals in a span of eight minutes.
Trent Frederic, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each scored off beautiful passes from Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk respectively.
The Bruins were absolutely ignited by Tinordi standing up for Carlo, and Bergeron even made it a point to skate by the penalty box after his goal and acknowledge his new teammate’s impact.
3. Vintage performance from Brad Marchand
Brad Marchand leads by example every game both on and off the scoresheet. Still he tends to play his best when the games heat up emotionally.
Friday night against the Capitals, vintage Marchand was on full display.
The Bruins’ top left winger led the way offensively with three points (two goals, one assist) and was in the middle of numerous scrums throughout the game.
Marchand had exchanges with Brenden Dillon, Nick Jensen and even Zdeno Chara during the Bruins' 5-1 win over the Capitals.
It’s important for leaders to step up, especially during adversity, and Marchand has been stepping up all season long now with 27 points in 21 games.