The Bruins snapped their own two-game losing streak in a big way on Saturday, February 1st, handing the Rangers their third straight defeat behind the dominant performance from David Pastrnak, who potted a hat trick in the 6-3 win at TD Garden. It had been a particularly disappointing loss for New York, spoiling the return of J.T. Miller, who scored two of the team’s three goals after being acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. Pavel Zacha, skating in his 600th NHL career game, also scored for Boston, along with both Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle. Jonny Brodzinski scored the other goal out of the three for New York. The Bruins host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, and the Rangers head back home to take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday before hosting the Bruins on Wednesday.
Boston Bruins Lineup:
Marchand – Lindholm – Coyle
Geekie – Zacha – Pastrnak
Frederic – Poitras – Wahlstrom
Koepke – Beecher – Brazeau
Lohrei – McAvoy
Callahan – Carlo
Zadorov – Peeke
Swayman
Korpisalo
New York Rangers Lineup:
Panarin – Miller – Zibanejad
Smith – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Kreider – Brodzinski – Cuylle
Edstrom – Carrick – Rempe
Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Putting the Bruins in a 1-0 lead with 9:39 on the clock in the first period, Charlie McAvoy opened the scoring on a one-timer for his sixth goal of the season. McAvoy took a pass from Pavel Zacha after passing back and forth a few times before he beat Igor Shesterkin under the crossbar from the left face-off circle on the power play, just two seconds after their two-man advantage had expired. J.T. Miller put in his 10th of the season to tie it up 1-1 on his first goal back as a Ranger at 9:05 when Artemi Panarin redirected the puck to him after a clearing attempt by Brandon Carlo along the left boards failed due to Panarin taking the puck. Miller had been alone in the slot, putting in a one-timer to the glove side. With 2:51 left to play in the first, David Pastrnak was fed by Matt Poitras to regain the lead for Boston 2-1. Poitras collected a loose puck behind the Rangers’ net after the Bruins got it out of their zone, then found Pastrnak in front, who beat Shesterkin to the glove side.
Charlie Coyle made it 3-1 early into the middle frame on his 13th of the season when he redirected a point shot by Andrew Peeke at 16:21. Brad Marchand originally had the puck, carrying it out from Boston’s zone starting from the right circle, through the neutral zone, and around the back of New York’s net before handing it off to Peeke, who fired the puck and Coyle, who was at the net, redirected it. Later into the second, Pavel Zacha pushed it to 4-1 with a power-play goal for his 12th goal of the season after getting ahold of the puck when it bounced to him after Elias Lindholm shot it off a pass from Brad Marchand.
Only 35 seconds into the third, J.T. Miller cut it to 4-2 for his 11th of the season and the second of his game on the power play when Chris Kreider passed the puck to Mika Zibanejad, who shot from just below the right circle and Miller deflected it in past Jeremy Swayman. David Pastrnak responded with a one-timer from the high slot to extend the lead to 5-2 at 18:39 when Matt Poitras picked up the puck along the right boards as Pastrnak raced up alongside him, taking Poitras’s pass and fired it past Igor Shesterkin. With a tip from the slot by Jonny Brodzinski, the Rangers pulled within 5-3 at 9:13 when Ryan Lindgren shot the puck from the left boards as Brodzinski was skating up toward the net. Pastrnak completed his hat trick with 3:22 remaining in regulation when he struck the empty New York net for the 6-3 final.
David Pastrnak on Poitras’s development, if he feels like himself/team performance recently, and if he’s playing to his standards: “We were both kind of lightweight guys coming in the league, so I definitely can relate to it. He got so much stronger compared to a year and a half ago when he came, and he took advantage of the unfortunate injury he had, and he is much stronger, got the confidence. As I said earlier when he’s playing a game like that, it’s fun to watch. He’s a big part of our offensive group,” – “It helps as a line, you know, we’ve been playing some good hockey in the past month, we’ve been confident, and having good offensive games. So, I think that helps the most, you know, we’re feeling good, we kind of know what to expect from each other. Huge credit to my linemates. I’ve been feeling much better lately. …I definitely set my standards high. Never satisfied… try to get better every single game. The sky’s the limit when I’m on my game… right now, it’s going well.”
Matt Poitras on Pastrnak, if he feels like his game has grown since starting this season with the Providence Bruins, strength, and handling physicality: “He’s an unbelievable player. For me, it’s just find him and he’ll do the rest. …I think for me, I’m just getting more comfortable. I feel like off-the-ice habits have gotten better, and I’m just trying to do more and more every day to try and make sure my body can handle this many games in this many days. It’s a very busy schedule. So, for me, it’s just trying to make myself feel good going to each game,” – “I definitely do feel stronger. Obviously fortunate enough that we mix in some workouts, just kind of keep my body and keep my weight the same throughout the year. I think I’ve always kind of been a guy who absorbs contact and makes plays out of the corner, so I just haven’t really changed that and just keep doing my thing.”
Game Notes:
– Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves for Boston, and Igor Shesterkin made 18 saves for New York.
– David Pastrnak recorded his 18th NHL career hat trick, also having a four-point game with three goals and one assist. He registered his 8th career 10-game point streak, surpassing Bobby Orr for second-most in team history, and the only player with more for the Bruins is Phil Esposito (10), who is also the only Bruin with more hat tricks (26) than Pastrnak. …Pastrnak is also the third Boston Bruin in the past 25 years to post a 10-game assist streak. He joins both Brad Marchand (12GP; 2019-20) and Marc Savard (12GP; 2007-08). …David registered the 15th four-point game of his career, and he surpasses Peter McNab for 10th-most in team history. He’s one of the only six Bruins with 70 career three-point games, and he joins Esposito (140), Ray Bourque (106), and Rick Middleton (87).
– Pavel Zacha, who was playing in his 600th NHL career game, recorded both a goal and an assist.
– Matt Poitras and Brad Marchand each picked up a pair of assists. …Marchand passed Patrice Bergeron for sixth in Bruins history as he had his 243rd multipoint game.
– After taking a puck to the face in the second period, Michael Callahan needed dental work, and there is no update.
– J.T. Miller’s past two goals for New York have come 2,533 days apart.
– Adam Edstrom left the game midway through the second period due to an upper-body injury. There was no update.
Season 4. Episode 19. Mark Divver – Bruins Benders Podcast
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