The Bruins kept rolling Thursday night, and they did it in style. Boston piled up six goals, blanked Nashville 6-0 at TD Garden on Hockey Fights Cancer night, and stretched its point streak to seven games.
It was also a milestone night for Michael DiPietro, who turned aside all 28 shots he saw for his first NHL shutout in just his second career win. Boston improved to 8-2-1, while the Predators dropped to 3-3-3.
David Pastrnak led the way with a pair of goals, while Casey Mittelstadt, Elias Lindholm, JJ Peterka and Mark Kastelic also found the back of the net.
Boston wasted little time getting on the board. Just 3:49 into the game, Mittelstadt took a feed from Pastrnak at the blue line, stepped in from just outside the right circle and ripped a shot past Justus Annunen for the opening goal.
The Bruins kept applying pressure after Pastrnak drew a holding minor on Nicolas Hague, setting up the game’s first power play. Fifteen seconds into that advantage, Charlie McAvoy sent a bouncing puck toward the net, Lindholm got a piece of it, and the redirect slipped past Annunen to make it 2-0.
There was a brief scare late in the opening period when Morgan Geekie went down near the end boards after getting tangled with Jayden Struble and Ryan O’Reilly. He headed down the tunnel, but he was back out for the second period.
Boston kept building the lead after the intermission. Around the midpoint of the game, McAvoy put a shot on goal that Pastrnak and Peterka both got a stick on. The puck changed direction off Pastrnak’s blade and beat Annunen on the blocker side.
The next strike came seven minutes later, and it belonged to the first line again. Pastrnak entered the zone, looked like he might shoot, then chose the pass instead and slipped a slap pass to Peterka. Peterka’s first try rang off the post, but he stayed with it and buried the rebound to push the Bruins ahead 4-0.
Mark Kastelic added the next one early in the third period. Matt Poitras worked the puck around the boards, it popped off the side of the net and dropped right in front, and Kastelic drove the crease to finish with a backhand for his second goal of the season. Poitras picked up an assist and extended his point streak to five games.
Pastrnak wasn’t done. With exactly five minutes left in regulation, he scored again, with Frederic Brunet and McAvoy assisting. That helper gave McAvoy four assists on the night, matching a single-game career high.
The Bruins get Friday off before returning to TD Garden to finish their season series against the San Jose Sharks that night.
In Other News...
Bruins Have A Nikita Zadorov Problem They Cant Ignore
Bostons strong start has come with a familiar trade-off on the blue line, and Nikita Zadorov sits right in the middle of it. The Bruins have long valued his size, edge and ability to disrupt opponents, because when hes on, he can change the tone of a game in ways few defensemen can. But the early-season picture has been more complicated, with his play drawing scrutiny for the kind of undisciplined mistakes that can undo a good night in a hurry.
The concern is not just the penalties themselves, but the broader impact they have had on Bostons five-on-five play. The Bruins can live with some risk if Zadorov is tilting the ice in their favor, yet there has been a growing sense that the balance has been off lately, enough to lead to disciplinary scratches and renewed questions about how much rope he should get. For a team trying to build on its strong start, the issue is no longer whether Zadorov matters, but whether the Bruins can keep tolerating the version of him they have been getting. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Turn To A Different Goalie In A Spot Fans Will Watch
The Bruins are giving Michael DiPietro another turn in goal against the Nashville Predators, a spot that comes after a demanding four-game road trip and a strong stretch away from home. Boston picked up seven of a possible eight points on that trip, and DiPietro will get the assignment after already logging two previous starts this season, including his first NHL win against the Anaheim Ducks.
For a team trying to keep the momentum going, the goalie decision adds a little extra intrigue to a home matchup that arrives right after the travel grind. Jeremy Swayman handled most of the work on the road, so this start gives Boston a different look in a game fans will be watching closely to see how the crease lines up moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fast Start Is Starting To Feel Like Something Bigger
A West Coast trip can tell you a lot about a hockey team, and the Bruins came home looking every bit like a group that belongs in the conversation. Boston won three of four out west, swept through the three California stops and only missed a perfect trip by dropping an overtime decision to Dallas, a run that has already started to reshape how the rest of the league sees them.
The rankings bump followed quickly, with Boston climbing in both major national power lists, but the more interesting part is what comes next. The Bruins now get to bring that momentum back home for a stretch that includes Nashville and San Jose, a chance to see whether this fast start is merely a strong opening or the beginning of something sturdier. [Read more 🡒]