The Bruins received one in every of their stars again on Tuesday, nevertheless it was a few the workforce’s grinders who delivered them their third straight victory.
After shaking off a messy first interval, Mark Kastelic and Fraser Minten every scored a pair of targets to steer the B’s to their second win over former coach Jim Montgomery’s Blues, 5-2, in St. Louis. Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves for the win and Sean Kuraly had a pair of helpers.
The B’s misplaced a one-goal lead early within the third interval however then scored the following three targets to earn the 2 factors to begin their three-game win streak.
The Bruins welcomed again David Pastrnak (two assists additionally) after he missed 5 video games with an unspecified harm and began him off on a line with rookie Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov.
However for the primary time in three video games, the B’s discovered themselves with a deficit within the early going.
The B’s weren’t sharp within the early going and wanted Jeremy Swayman to provide you with a giant save proper off the bat on the primary shift off a turnover.
Nick Bjugstadt received behind everybody for a partial breakaway and Pavel Zacha slashed him to present the Blues the primary energy play of the sport. It may have been a penalty shot nevertheless it didn’t matter as a result of the Blues cashed in at 5:27. Robert Thomas one-timed a Pavel Buchnevich move from the excessive slot and, with some assist from a Jonathan Aspirot display screen, the B’s had been down 1-0.
Swayman got here up with a pair extra huge saves, the most effective being a glove snare on Colton Parayko snap shot from the slot.
On the finish of the primary, coach Marco Sturm put Pastrnak again on the highest line with Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm and the group earned an influence play with 4 seconds left within the interval when Geekie took a high-stick from Bjugstadt.
However the benefit completed the identical means as their first one did, unsuccessfully, regardless of Geekie hitting a publish. Kastelic would additionally hit iron on the shift after the PP.
The B’s began to search out the vary within the second interval and commenced peppering goalie Joel Hofer with photographs.
Hofer was enjoying higher than Jordan Binnington had performed in Boston final week, however the B’s would finally get the equalizer at 12:48.
The Pastrnak-Minten-Khusnutdinov line was reunited within the second interval and all three forwards crashed the online. Hofer stopped Pastrnak after which Khusnutdinov earlier than Minten got here from behind the online and swept it dwelling for his fifth of the season.
Whereas Sturm’s new “third” line scored, his new fourth line gave them their first lead at 14:34. Tanner Jeannot collected a Kastelic rim move and despatched it again to Victor Soderstrom on the proper level. Soderstrom walked the puck to the center of the ice and fired a shot that Sean Kuraly tipped and it went off Kastelic previous Hofer for his fifth of the yr and Soderstrom’s first level as a Bruin.
The B’s maintained their lead into the second intermission after outshooting the Blues, 13-3, within the second interval however barely averted catastrophe on the the ultimate shift. A puck bounced off the top boards and got here out for Jake Neighbours, who had an empty internet. However his backhander went off Hampus Lindholm’s skate and out of hazard.
However they might not maintain the lead. After Hofer robbed Minten at one finish, the Blues tied it at 4:51. Andrew Peeke tried to shovel a move behind the online to Hampus Lindholm however Buchnevich stole it and fed Thomas in entrance for his second of the sport.
However the B’s regained the lead at 8:01. After Kuraly and Kastelic received a puck behind the online to get it out to Nikita Zadorov on the outdoors of the left circle, the massive defenseman fired it again into the group on the crease. It his Kuraly and dropped down for Kastelic to knock it dwelling.
Then the so-called third line went again to work. After a Peeke shot went off the publish, it caromed off the boards and into the slot, the place Minten one-timed a slapper for his second of the evening a 11:33, his first profession two-goal recreation.
Pavel Zacha ended it with an empty-netter with 1:41 left, hiss eighth of the yr.
