Pastrnak Scores Hat Trick, Bruins’ Young Stars Shine In Dominating 8-2 Win Over Red Wings
Oct 13, 2018; Boston, MA: Boston Bruins left wing David Pastrnak celebrates his goal scored against the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden. (Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)
After sleepwalking for much of the first period, the Boston Bruins got another goal from David Pastrnak and rolled from there in an 8-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at TD Garden. Pastrnak added goals in the second and third periods to complete his third career hat trick (including playoffs).
The Bruins have won four straight since their season-opening 7-0 loss to the Capitals, tuning up opponents by a combined score of 22-6. Pastrnak is now up to seven goals and nine points in five games, with all of his points coming during the Bruins’ four-game winning streak.
Both teams got off to a slow start, going nearly the entire first period without a goal. The Red Wings registered more shot attempts overall (17-14), but the Bruins started to gain momentum late in the frame. Boston generated three high-danger scoring chances to none for Detroit, finishing the period off with Pastrnak’s fifth goal of the season.
Jake DeBrusk scored his first two goals of the season after a quiet start on the score sheet. Charlie McAvoy, Anders Bjork, and Sean Kuraly also scored their first goals of the season.
Highlights
Pastrnak breathed some life late into a sluggish first period for the B’s, taking the puck nearly the length of the ice for his first goal of the game. He zipped right through the neutral zone and around the Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin before beating goalie Jonathan Bernier far-side over his left shoulder.
McAvoy got the Bruins rolling in the second period with a quick shot from the top of the circle off the faceoff pass. His shot deflected off Detroit’s Nick Jensen and through Bernier.
DeBrusk netted his first when he got behind the Red Wings defense just as Thomas Vanek’s errant pass went to David Krejci, who fired it up ice to DeBrusk for the breakway. The second-year winger deked Bernier into a backhand that sneaked through the five-hole to make it 3-0 Bruins.
Pastrnak’s second goal of the game and 100th of his career came less than five minutes after DeBrusk’s first score on a power play. The red-hot winger fired home the one-timer off a brilliant no-look pass from Patrice Bergeron, who finished with three assists. The Bruins went 1-for-3 with the man advantage in the game.
Detroit finally got on the board in the third period when Filip Hronek blasted a slap shot past Rask with a screen in front.
But answering just 1:44 later was – who else? – Pastrnak, who finished the hat trick with a nice give-and-go on a 2-on-1 with Brad Marchand and another rifle past Bernier.
Dylan Larkin made easily the best play of the game for the Red Wings when he picked Matt Grzelcyk’s pocket and ripped a wrister by Tuukka Rask for a shorthanded goal to make it 5-2 Bruins.
Anders Bjork joined the parade of under-25 talents to score for the Bruins on the afternoon to extend the lead to 6-2. The 22-year-old grabbed his first of the season after sparking his own odd-man rush and sniping one by Bernier.
The rout was truly on when DeBrusk added his second of the game to make it 7-2. The play started on a nifty cross-ice pass from Krejci to Brandon Carlo, who fed it in front as DeBrusk redirected it into the net.
Boston had Detroit under siege all the way to the closing seconds. Sean Kuraly cashed in with just two seconds left in regulation with a short-side wrister from the low faceoff circle.
Rask made 32 saves in all in an active game overall for both goalies. He made one key save in the second period when he denied Andreas Athanasiou on a dangerous rush, keeping the score at 2-0.
Up Next: The Bruins now get three days between games until they head to Calgary on Wednesday night, when they will try to make it five wins in a row against the Flames.
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