Pastrnak scores hat trick as Bruins top Rangers by 6-3 final
The Boston Bruins got back on track with a much-needed win on Saturday afternoon, as they bested the New York Rangers by a 6-3 final at TD Garden. David Pastrnak scored a hat trick in the win, while B’s goaltender Jeremy Swayman stopped 22-of-25 shots by the Rangers (.880).
After the victory, the Bruins momentarily jumped back into the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference at 58 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning (57 points) have a chance to jump back over them with a win or overtime loss against the New York Islanders Saturday night.
The Bruins scored first, as they capitalized on a golden opportunity with a 5-on-3 situation. Charlie McAvoy blasted a one-timer past Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin at the tail end of the two-man advantage to put the B’s on top.
Unfortunately, the Bruins continued a troubling trend of allowing goals shortly after scoring, as Rangers newcomer J.T. Miller beat Swayman from the slot for a goal just 34 seconds after McAvoy scored. Thanks to data collected by Ty Anderson, we know that it was the 13th time that the Bruins let up a goal within two minutes of scoring one of their own.
However, the Bruins wouldn’t have such a problem for the rest of the game. They went back on top at 2-1 with 2:51 left in the first period, as Pastrnak fired it home from the slot off a nice pass from Matt Poitras. Pastrnak scored 11 goals and 13 assists in 14 January games, and his hot streak has carried into February. After scoring two more goals later in the game, he’s up to 27 on the season.
The Bruins would only extend their lead in the second period, scoring two more times to make it a 4-1 game. Charlie Coyle (tip-in) and Pavel Zacha (rebound) picked up the goals for the B’s. The Rangers, meanwhile, mustered only two shots on goal the entire period, as the B’s played one of their most complete periods of the season.
New York scored early in the third period, as Miller redirected a point shot for his second of the game. But Boston would turn the tables on its own issues, answering just 46 seconds later with Pastrnak’s second goal of the game.
Pastrnak added an empty-netter to complete his hat trick with 3:23 left in regulation, icing the game for good.
Up Next: The Bruins will look to stay on the right track next Tuesday, when they welcome the Minnesota Wild to TD Garden.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.