BSJ Game Report: Bruins 3, Rangers 1 - Pastrnak, Ullmark shine in win over Rangers

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 3-1 win over the Rangers, with BSJ insight and analysis: 

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Reinforcements arrive for Boston: Regardless of how Saturday’s matinee matchup against the Blueshirts panned out, it was already a victory in itself that Boston’s walking wounded finally made it back out on the ice with less than a week to go in the regular season.

While it was to be expected that Linus Ullmark would be in play to start on Saturday after missing the last three games with an upper-body issue, Bruce Cassidy announced just ahead of puck drop that both David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm would also play against New York — granting Boston its top sniper and top-pairing blueliner after some extended time on the shelf.

And sure enough, all three players made a sizable impact in Boston’s eventual 3-1 win over the Rangers. Lindholm and Pastrnak logged the most minutes among Bruins blueliners and forwards, respectively — with Pastrnak recording two points (including his 39th goal) and Lindholm orchestrating a clean breakout for Boston all game long.

But it was Ullmark who led the way for Boston, stopping 30 of the 31 shots that came his way as he continues to make a compelling case for the B’s Game 1 starter on May 2. 

Considering the Bruins don’t have much runway to work with before the end of the regular season, getting all three regulars back on the ice and starting to shake off some rust stands as a major step forward for Boston as the club begins to steel itself for a grueling postseason run.

And based on the early returns, it doesn’t look like Ullmark, Pastrnak and Lindholm have missed a beat. 

"It's nice,” Pastrnak said postgame. "It's a nightmare for every athlete being hurt and not playing. It's nice that I was able to come back and help the team."

Ullmark continues to make case for Game 1 start: At the time when Ullmark had to exit last Thursday’s game against the Senators after taking a slap shot off the mask, the veteran netminder was in the midst of a heater between the pipes, posting a .940 save percentage over his last five outings. 

While the Bruins had hoped that Ullmark was going to pick up right where he left off following his time on the shelf, that’s often a lot to ask for — especially for an athlete in such a hot-and-cold position. 

But Ullmark sure looked locked in on Saturday, turning aside a Rangers offense that can bury you in a hurry — especially on a power play that ranks third in the NHL (1-for-3 against Boston). Even though Jeremy Swayman has rebounded a bit from his extended slump in late March, the Bruins would probably feel a whole lot better about the state of the team going into the postseason if Ullmark is back and operating at a high level.

Through one game back, it sure looks like the Game 1 start belongs to Ullmark.

THREE UP

David Pastrnak: Quite the return for Pastrnak in this one. Along with his 39th goal of the season, Pastrnak jumpstarted Taylor Hall’s second-period tally by blocking an Adam Fox shot. Add in the fact that Boston’s power play managed to generate a few more quality looks with Pastrnak back in his usual spot at the left circle, and the right winger’s impact is easy to glean. 

Pastrnak also reached 500 career points during Saturday’s win. Among the players to debut with Boston, Pastrnak required the third-fewest games (508) to reach such a scoring milestone — behind only Bobby Orr (just 396 games) and Ray Bourque (484 games). Pretty good company to be in.

Linus Ullmark: A fantastic showing from Ullmark in this one, who turned aside a number of Grade-A chances from the Blueshirts and out-dueled the Vezina favorite in Igor Shesterkin.  Just don’t ask him if he thinks he’s done enough to earn a Game 1 start. “I don’t think about that at all,” he declared.

Third line: After Mika Zibanejad cut Boston’s lead in half with a power-play tally 2:58 into the third period, it was Boston’s third line that gave the B’s some much-needed insurance. While Shesterkin was there to turn aside a Craig Smith slap shot, Trent Frederic knocked the rebound offering past the Rangers goalie to give Boston a 3-1 lead. The return of Pastrnak, Lindholm and Ullmark helped a great deal, but the Bruins also need this third line to get back on a roll just ahead of the postseason. 

TWO DOWN

Power play: I will preface by saying that Boston’s power play managed to generate a lot more Grade-A chances against Shesterkin with Pastrnak back in the fold, but it’s still tough to ignore an 0-for-32 drought. Sooner or later, that unit is due to break out, right? … Right? 

Brandon Carlo: Just an ugly PK sequence all around from Carlo here. Even after losing your stick, you can’t vacate the front of the net, especially with a guy like Zibanejad ready to fire home a puck. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

 LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will head right back on the road for a matchup against the Canadiens on Sunday night at Bell Centre. Jeremy Swayman is expected to get the start in net for Boston.