The Boston Bruins made sure Thursday night at TD Garden did not turn into the kind of sleepy return game that can follow a long road trip. Instead, they jumped on the Nashville Predators early, kept pushing, and rolled to a 6-0 win that moved them to 8-2-1 on the season.
Boston had just finished a West Coast swing that brought a 3-0-1 record and seven of a possible eight points. Back home, head coach Marco Sturm clearly wanted his team to carry that momentum straight into the building. They did exactly that, scoring twice in the first period and never letting Nashville get comfortable.
The opening 20 minutes set the tone. Casey Mittlestadt scored early, Elias Lindholm added another late in the period, and the Bruins carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. They also outshot the Predators 11-7, a sign that Boston was on the front foot and looking to keep the pressure on.
The goaltending side of the night belonged to Michael DiPietro, who got his first home start after starting the first two on the road against the Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Ducks. He had split those decisions, but against Nashville he looked sharp from the start and stayed that way.
His biggest work came in the second period, when Boston was up 2-0 and he made two huge point-blank stops on Maverick Bourque and then Alex Kerfoot on the rebound. Those saves mattered, and they helped the Bruins keep the door shut while the offense stretched the lead.
DiPietro finished with 28 saves and continued to look like the kind of option that deserves the backup role behind Jeremy Swayman this season.
David Pastrnak was right in the middle of everything. He collected two assists and scored two goals in a complete offensive night for Boston’s top threat.
He helped set up Mittlestadt for the opening goal, then later redirected a Charlie McAvoy shot in the second period to make it 3-0. Pastrnak also fed JJ Peterka in the middle frame with a slap pass that led to another goal, as Peterka’s first shot hit the post before he poked in the rebound for a 4-0 cushion.
There was also a brief scare with Morgan Geekie in the first period. He went down the tunnel with what looked like a lower-body injury and a limp, but he returned for the second period. For a Bruins team that has already dealt with an injury to Pavel Zacha - suffered last Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks, missed the next game against the Los Angeles Kings, then returned in Dallas - that was a welcome development.
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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 🡒]