The Bruins came through a demanding little stretch with their footing firmly planted, and the results at home backed it up. After banking seven of a possible eight points on an early-season West Coast swing, Boston returned to TD Garden and handled business in two very different ways: a 6-0 blanking of the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, then a 6-4 win over the San Jose Sharks 48 hours later that featured a four-goal third period.
That kind of finish leaves the Black and Gold heading back on the road with momentum intact. Next up is a two-game set against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes before a trip to face former coach Jim Montgomery and the St. Louis Blues.
A short homestand like that usually sorts out who’s driving the bus and who’s stuck in the back seat. For Marco Sturm’s club, there were plenty more drivers than passengers.
Casey Mittlestadt gave Boston the kind of jump-start every team wants. He scored the Bruins’ first goal in both games, and both times the opening strike mattered.
Against Nashville, he buried a wrist shot from the circle after David Pastrnak set him up. Against San Jose, he found a loose puck in the crease and poked it home.
Mittlestadt has been strong early this season, and Boston is clearly benefiting from it.
Pastrnak kept doing what top players are supposed to do when a team gets home from the road: set the tone. Against the Predators, he finished with two goals and two assists, including a second-period redirection.
Against the Sharks, he took a third-period penalty, watched his teammates kill it off, then came right out and scored on a wrist shot during a 3-on-2 rush. Those are the kind of timely plays that swing a game fast.
Charlie McAvoy also kept showing why his return matters so much. Since coming back from his six-game suspension, Boston hasn’t lost in regulation.
Against Nashville, he was in on four of the six Bruins goals with an assist on each one. He set up Elias Lindholm with a shot-pass on the power play in the first period for a 2-0 lead, then later helped create the Pastrnak tip-in in the second.
And then there was Michael DiPietro, whose week carried a much bigger emotional weight. He got his first career win on the trip against the Anaheim Ducks, then started against Nashville on Hockey Fights Cancer Night and earned his first career shutout with 28 saves.
Afterward, he said he lost his mother to cancer at a young age. It was a meaningful night and a memorable result.
As for Nashville, the Bruins handed them a chance and the Predators never grabbed it. Boston was fresh off a long road trip and playing its first home game in nearly two weeks, while Nashville arrived after an overtime loss to the Dallas Stars 48 hours earlier.
That was the spot for a road team to take control. Instead, the Predators got buried in a 6-0 loss, and head coach Andrew Brunette was not pleased.
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Through his first stretch in Boston, Borgen has stood out for the way he has handled his minutes and simplified things for the rest of the defense corps. Marco Sturm has liked what he has seen from the newcomer, and the early returns suggest the Bruins may have found a useful piece for a group that badly needed one. [Read more 🡒]
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David Pastrnak has noticed the way Hagens plays around the crease, where patience and touch can matter just as much as speed. For a young player still carving out his place, the encouraging part is not only the production but the way he is finding important moments without forcing the issue. The Bruins have plenty of season left to sort out, but Hagens is already giving the fan base a reason to think the future might arrive sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Suddenly Have New Roster Momentum Heading Into Tough Trip
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Marat Khusnutdinov is now locked in for the long haul after signing a three-year contract extension, giving the Bruins one less item to worry about as they move deeper into the season. The last game also offered a boost in net, where Michael DiPietro picked up his first NHL shutout, the kind of performance that can quiet a few questions and give a club some extra confidence before heading on the road. [Read more 🡒]