The Boston Bruins look to proceed rolling alongside on a five-game homestand as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday within the finale of a weekend back-to-back for each groups.
It was a historic Saturday for the Bruins as Marat Khusnutdinov (4 objectives, one help) and Pavel Zacha each recorded their first profession hat tips and David Pastrnak tied a franchise report with a career-high six assists in a 10-2 thrashing of the New York Rangers.
Boston’s second straight win and fourth within the final six video games (4-1-1) got here on the energy of its first 10-goal outburst since 1988. Khusnutdinov and Zacha signify the primary pair of Bruins to report hat tips in the identical recreation since 1964.
“Neglect about how (many objectives) we scored, however we performed actually, actually good,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm mentioned of his workforce’s total effort. “They need to really feel actually good about it.”
Loads of others received in on the enjoyable as nicely. Fraser Minten scored twice and added an help, whereas defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored and arrange a aim. Elias Lindholm and Henri Jokiharju every dished out a pair of assists.
All of Boston’s offense supported soon-to-be U.S. Olympian Jeremy Swayman, who made 27 stops en path to his third win in 4 begins. With the tight turnaround, Joonas Korpisalo seemingly will begin versus Pittsburgh after his 28-save effort in a 4-1 Thursday win over Calgary to start the homestand.
“It is fairly enjoyable to look at and be part of (a recreation like that),” rugged Bruins ahead Mark Kastelic mentioned. “Simply to see how all people performed collectively for just about the complete 60 minutes.”
Nonetheless, Boston completed Saturday’s recreation down two forwards after Morgan Geekie exited to are inclined to a household matter and Lindholm sustained a lower-body harm. Each seemingly might be Sunday game-time selections.
Pittsburgh arrives in Boston after having a six-game win streak snapped with a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
“(The Flames) did job. They compete onerous. Not a number of time and area,” Penguins celebrity captain Sidney Crosby mentioned. “That is hockey. Video games aren’t at all times going to be up and down. We have to seek out other ways to create. We did at occasions, however it was troublesome for us to maintain that the best way now we have, so we have got to seek out methods to have the ability to do this.”
Egor Chinakhov scored the Penguins’ lone aim. Rookie Arturs Silovs made 23 saves as he has continued to alternate begins with Stuart Skinner for the reason that latter’s arrival from the Edmonton Oilers earlier this month.
“You noticed what number of odd-man rushes he needed to face,” Penguins coach Dan Muse mentioned. “He stored the sport shut for us.”
Saturday’s recreation marked the tip of an eight-game level streak for Crosby, who logged 5 objectives and 9 assists over that span. Nonetheless, longtime teammate Evgeni Malkin notched his 854th profession help, which is sweet for the Tenth-most with a single franchise in NHL historical past.
The Penguins, who went 0-for-3 on the ability play and had a third-period aim wiped away attributable to goaltender interference, have been with out top-line winger Bryan Rust attributable to a lower-body harm.
Massachusetts native Kevin Hayes jumped into the lineup on account of Rust’s absence, whereas Rafael Harvey-Pinard was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in what Muse known as a “precautionary” transaction.
The Pittsburgh lineup consists of former Bruins forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. Brazeau (12 objectives) is likely one of the workforce’s 4 double-digit aim scorers.
–Area Stage Media
