BSJ Game Report: Bruins 4, Devils 3 - B’s hold off Devils' rally in 3rd period

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-3 win over the Devils, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Pastrnak lifts Bruins past Devils in Newark: Considering all that’s gone right for the Bruins so far in 2022, B’s fans haven’t had a lot of ammunition when it comes to airing their grievances — even on a day like Festivus.

But if there’s still one point of consternation shared by many of the B’s faithful, it’s the sight of David Pastrnak tearing up the rest of the NHL with no long-term contract in place.  

Those gripes were once again validated on Friday night down in Newark, with the pending UFA once again stuffing the stat sheet in what was a 4-3 victory for Boston over the fading Devils.

Pastrnak led the way for Boston (27-4-2) with two goals, while Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk also lit the lamp. Linus Ullmark improved to 19-1-0 on the season with a 36-save effort.

 Yes, the once red-hot Devils have come back down to Earth as of late (1-5-1 over their previous seven games), but Friday still stood as a game where Boston was looking at an uphill climb right from puck drop — especially playing on the second leg of a back-to-back slate following Thursday's comeback win over Winnipeg.

But after an opening period in which Boston relinquished a power-play tally to Jack Hughes and struggled at times to keep up with New Jersey’s pace, the B’s walloped the home team in the middle frame — rattling off four unanswered goals to put this one out of reach before the second intermission commenced. 

Still, New Jersey pushed back in the third and made it a game — with goals from Tomas Tatar and Yegor Sharangovich less than three minutes apart turning this one into a nail-biter over the final minutes of regulation. But Boston eventually hung on for another two points secured in the standings. 

THREE UP

David Pastrnak: Pastrnak has been stacking up points all season long, but the B’s forward is in the midst of an absurd heater — even for his standards. During this current 11-game point streak, Pastrnak has scored 10 goals and posted 15 points. 

Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk line: This top line has been a defensive juggernaut all season long, but their dearth of tangible 5v5 offense often had Jim Montgomery and the rest of Boston’s coaches scratching their heads. But over the last few games, it seems like this trio is starting to click in the offensive zone, with both Bergeron and DeBrusk lighting the lamp on Friday off of a nifty set play and a great set-up from Marchand.

Linus Ullmark: Ullmark has been a regular addition to this list, and such a designation didn’t change on Friday night. The Devils can make life miserable for goalies due to their frantic pace and heavy shot volume, but Ullmark didn’t budge against a number of the Grade-A looks that New Jersey orchestrated in front of him.

TWO DOWN

Matt Grzelcyk: Granted, you don’t see a whole lot of instances in which a player with Grzelcyk’s profile crushes a player into the boards — but Grzelcyk’s boarding call against Michael McLeod did lead to Hughes’ power-play tally just seconds later. 

Third period: Whether it be lapses in D-zone coverage by the Forbort-Clifton pairing, Brandon Carlo losing a puck down low on Sharangovich's goal or just Boston's collective malaise in the third — Boston nearly let a convincing win slip through its grasp over the final 20 minutes of action. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Man, Kevin Bahl had NO CLUE where Marchand was going with this puck here. Nice move by Marchand and a sweet set-up on DeBrusk’s goal. 

LOOSE PUCKS

LOOKING AHEAD

After the holiday break, the Bruins will remain on the road and head up to Ottawa for a matchup against the Sens on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.