BSJ Game Report: Bruins 4, Canadiens 2 - Pastrnak, Bruins find a way to win in Montreal

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, with BSJ insight and analysis…

BOX SCORE 

HEADLINES

Pastrnak’s four points power Boston to win in Montreal: The Canadiens may have brought their best for most of the night, but the Bruins still found a way to win, 4-2, at the Bell Centre. 

David Pastrnak had a big night on the scoresheet with a goal and three assists for the Bruins (38-5-4), while Taylor Hall found the back of the net for the first time in 16 games. Patrice Bergeron scored the game-winner late in regulation, and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves. Boston became the fastest team to reach 80 points in NHL history.

Kirby Dach scored twice for the Habs (20-25-3), and Sam Montembeault made 25 saves, keeping Montreal in it throughout the game. 

Both goaltenders were sharp in the early going with Montembeault coming up with key saves on David Krejci and Trent Frederic, while Swayman flashed the glove on a couple of Nick Suzuki opportunities in close. 

Dach broke the stalemate in the second period on the power play when Evgenii Dadonov’s deflection went right to him at the left circle, but Hall answered on the power play five minutes later on a rebound in front of the crease. 

Krejci tipped in Pastrnak’s shot from distance midway through the third period to give Boston the lead for the first time, but Dach cashed in on another rebound in front 1:46 later. 

Boston pushed from there with Bergeron making it 3-2 with 2:55 to go after Brad Marchand couldn’t corral Pastrnak’s rebound off a set face-off play. Pastrnak’s empty-netter extended it to 4-2 with 49 seconds to go. 

FOUR UP

David Pastrnak: For a while, it felt like another quiet night, at least by Pastrnak’s standards, but he still managed to find ways to be effective. Pastrnak had a goal and three assists, all thanks to his most dangerous asset: his shot. The first three Bruins goals came via a rebound or deflection off a shot from No. 88. His empty-netter with seconds to go sealed the win. 

Taylor Hall: Hall came up with a timely goal for not only the Bruins, but himself as well, ending a lengthy drought. He was clearly pressing in recent games, but got back to basics on his goal, parking in front of the net and putting home a rebound. You need goals like that to get out of a skid.

Patrice Bergeron: It wasn’t a typical night for Bergeron, especially at the face-off dot where he went 10-for-23 (43 percent), but two of his wins at the dot were critical to the victory as both his game-winner and Hall’s goal came right off a face-off.

David Krejci: Krejci has had a hot hand of late with a goal and an assist tonight, making for one goal and seven helpers in his last five games. He’s also a plus-17 since the holiday break. 

TWO DOWN

NHL scheduling: It feels plain wrong that this was just the first of three games between the Bruins and Canadiens this season. This rivalry hasn’t had the same juice in recent years that it had even five years ago. Sure, Boston and Montreal being at different points in their winning cycles is part of it, but more games within the division would help. I’m not sure the Bruins need to play the Ducks or the Coyotes twice each season. 

The bottom-six: Boston’s role players weren’t as effective as they have been lately, save for first-period chances from Trent Frederic and A.J. Greer. In the dog days of the schedule and with four road games coming up before the All-Star break, it could be a good time to work Marc McLaughlin into the lineup to help provide a spark.

PLAY OF THE GAME

It’s a different goal than we’re used to seeing on the power play for the Bruins. It wasn’t a one-time blast from Pastrnak on the wing or Bergeron in the slot, but the man-advantage still set up nicely here, finding a shooting lane before Hall broke through. 

LOOSE PUCKS

A.J. Greer had one of the better walk-off intermission interviews I’ve seen, giving insightful, personal answers as opposed to “pucks in deep.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will continue their road trip when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.