BSJ Game Report: Bruins 6, Canucks 3

Everything you need to know from the Bruins win over the Canucks Thursday night at TD Garden.

HEADLINES

The gang (most of it) was back together: It’s amazing what an almost entirely healthy roster can do for a team. Check that: It’s amazing how confident the Bruins play when Patrice Bergeron is back in the lineup. His return brought balance to the lineup and linemate Brad Marchand played his best game of the season to this point. It was Bergeron's 900th career NHL game. He also passed Ken Hodge for seventh place on the Bruins' all-time points list with 675 career points. It also helped that David Backes made his seasonal debut too.

More injuries: It wasn't all good news for the Bruins. David Krejci and Adam McQuaid both left the game in the third period and did not return. According to Bruce Cassidy, Krejci hasn't been feeling well and then was on the receiving end of a cross-check that resulted in "spasms" so the team thought it best to keep him out the remainder of the game. Afterwards, Krejci said he was fine. McQuaid, who injured his leg during Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Golden Knights in Vegas, missed practice on Tuesday but was back on the ice Wednesday. He was in the lineup but after blocking two shots on the same shift late in the third, he needed help off the ice and did not return.

TURNING POINT

The Bruins scored three power-play goals on a five-minute major penalty and gained serious momentum. Boston scored at 9:03, 9:26 and 10:40 of the first period after the Canucks' Erik Gudbranson was given a five-minute penalty for boarding, a five-minute penalty for fighting and a game misconduct after he drilled Frank Vatrano from behind, knocking the Bruins' forward into the end wall head first. It was the first time since Oct. 28, 1998, versus the Canadiens, that the Bruins scored three goals on a PP.

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CHIRPPIN’ POINT

I can't stand the delayed entry on the power play. If done properly it can be an effective tool, but it's few and far between that a power-play unit executes it to perfection. Nearly every team in the NHL tries it and everyone knows it's coming. Most of the time the team on the PP is stationary on the blue line, while the puck carrier attempts to gain the zone. The Bruins attempted it numerous times against the Canucks.

NOT ON THE SCORE SHEET

Most people will look at Bergeron's four-point night (one goal and three assists) and would consider his return to the lineup a grand success. It was a play he made late in the second period that proved crucial to the team's success. With the Bruins holding a two-goal lead, Torey Krug pinched and fell down at the offensive blue line, allowing the Canucks speed through the neutral zone. Bergeron was deep in the offensive zone, but backchecked all the way to the slot in front of Boston's net and redirected a pass and would-be scoring chance into the netting. That's why he's a four-time Selke Award winner.

MASKED MAN

Oh, boy. To say watching Anton Khudobin was entertaining would be a major understatement. Since Tuukka Rask is sideline with a concussion, Khudobin will handle the workload between the pipes. He finished with 26 saves, but he was all over the place. Sure, that's his style but when your team has a 5-1 lead, a goalie should be able to simplify his game. I had no issue when the Canucks' Thomas Vanek scored a power-play goal at 16:06 of the second period, but Khudobin has to make the save on Bo Horvat's even-strength goal at 16:40 to cut Vancouver's deficit to two.

GOALS

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UP NEXT

The Bruins will host former Boston University standout Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m. Saturday at TD Garden.