Frank Vatrano didn’t contribute on the stat sheet Wednesday night, but he still earned plenty of respect in the Boston Bruins dressing room.
The young forward earned a roughing penalty in the second period when he took exception to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette’s hit on B’s defenseman Torey Krug.
After Paquette stapled Krug to the boards, Vatrano made a beeline for Paquette. The two collided and then each immediately dropped the gloves for a skirmish.
A few minutes later, Krug scored the eventual game-winning goal. After the game, though, the Boston D-man credited Vatrano for sticking up for a teammate.
“Obviously it was a big goal, the way the game turned out. But as far as momentum swings in the game, I think Frankie did a great job stepping in there,” Krug said. “Sticking up for his teammates, doing his thing. We were able to get out there and get one for him, and I give him a lot of credit for that.”
Vatrano has just two goals this season, but every contribution matters, and whatever the Bruins are doing now seems to be working. Boston held on for a 3-2 win, and the B’s have now won five of their last six to work their way back into playoff contention.
