The Boston Bruins received contributions throughout the lineup in a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, with every forward line getting on the scoresheet in one form or another. The victory also allowed Boston to maintain its grip on first place in the Atlantic Division, a spot the Bruins have occupied for virtually the entire season to date.
The Bruins came out on time and controlled play from the opening faceoff, carrying the pace and spending much of the early going in the offensive zone. But despite Boston’s strong start, the Penguins struck first when they scored on their first shot of the game, a chance that didn’t come until 9:04 of the opening period.
After surrendering the game’s opening goal, the Bruins responded with three unanswered tallies from Pavel Zacha, Mark Kastelic, and Elias Lindholm before the first intermission, turning an early deficit into a lead and seizing what appeared to be firm control of the contest.
But what has being a trend on many nights through the first 17 games of the season, the Bruins took their foot off the peddle in the second period. Pittsburgh would pull within one goal 7:57 into the frame to make it a different game.
The Bruins regained control before the end of the period, restoring their cushion with a pair of timely tallies. Zacha netted his second goal of the game and fifth of the season, while Morgan Geekie continued his recent offensive surge by scoring for the third straight game, sending Boston into the second intermission with a commanding 5-2 lead.
Fraser Minten scored his first goal in five games in the third period to close out the scoring.
Michael DiPietro wasn’t tested often, but he came up with several timely saves in the Bruins’ 6-2 victory, finishing the night with 16 stops on 18 shots. His most important work came during Pittsburgh’s second-period push, as DiPietro turned aside a number of quality chances to help Boston maintain its lead while the Penguins attempted to claw their way back into the game.
As noted, all four lines contributed offensively, although Minten’s goal did not come alongside his usual linemates. By that point, Marco Sturm had shuffled his forward groups, elevating Marat Khusnutdinov to skate with Zacha and David Pastrnak while moving JJ Peterka alongside Minten and Geekie.
The adjustment was notable, particularly because a more straightforward swap between Geekie and Peterka had seemed like the logical solution for some time. Instead, Sturm opted for a more significant reshuffle. Minten’s line had begun to lose its effectiveness offensively, and Peterka’s speed and skill provided a spark, while the line featuring Zacha, Peterka and Pastrnak had struggled to establish consistent chemistry through the opening portion of the season.
Almost immediately after Minten’s goal, Geekie and Peterka broke in alone on a 2-on-0 opportunity, but were unable to convert and extend Boston’s lead. Still, the sequence offered another glimpse of what Peterka could do driving his own line. Whether that brief look is enough for Sturm to make a more permanent adjustment to his top-nine combinations remains to be seen in the coming games.
The Bruins did suffer an injury scare in the third period when James Hagens absorbed a cross-check to the lower back. Hagens initially remained on the bench while being evaluated by the training staff, but he soon headed to the dressing room and did not return. Following the game, Sturm said he did not have an update on Hagens’ condition.
If either Hagens or Matthew Poitras is unavailable for Sunday’s matchup against the Florida Panthers, the Bruins may be forced into a roster move to create room for a recall from Providence. One option would be placing the injured player on injured reserve, opening a spot on the active roster. Otherwise, Boston’s alternative would be to waive one of its eight defensemen and assign that player to Providence in order to clear the necessary roster space.
Placing a player in injured reserve would mean that player would not play for 7 days.
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