3 Stars: Lightning refuse to let Bruins dig out of early hole
A look at the top performers from Monday’s showdown between the Bruins and Lightning.
Oct 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) is checked off the puck by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
The Bruins did not manage to grab a point in Monday's matinee showdown with the Lightning at TD Garden. But, at the same time (and something I couldn't imagine myself saying this time two years ago), you almost had to feel good about how the Bruins battled back in a 4-3 loss, no?
Down 2-0 early, then 3-0 just moments into the second period, and then 4-1 mere seconds after scoring their first goal of the game, this felt like one of those games that ends 7-2 or 8-1 a year ago.
Of course, there are no points for moral victories, and this wasn't even one of those. But it was a sign that this year's Bruins will compete, even when the math is working against them.
"There was no question in my mind that we were going to stay in the game even though we were down 2-0,” B's head coach Marco Sturm said following his first loss behind the Boston bench. “I know my guys will respond.
"The thing is, it is hard in this league to chase the game.”
Here's a look at the 985TheSportsHub.com 3 Stars of the game...
3rd Star: Pavel Zacha
Sep 29, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) watches the action at the blue line during the second period against the Flyers at TD Garden. (Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
If the Bruins' second line is going to be as good as the club wants it to be, Pavel Zacha is going to have the be line's driver. And through four games, Zacha has been exactly that, and Monday came with yet another point to show for it for No. 18, as he picked up two assists in the losing effort.
Zacha's prettiest helper was one that Zacha didn't even see, either, as he won the faceoff back to Morgan Geekie for a beautiful snipe right off the faceoff.
Speaking with 985TheSportsHub.com after the game, Zacha admitted that though he didn't even see the shot go in, it was something the Bruins tried to draw up given that the faceoff was on Zacha's strong side.
In addition to the two helpers, Zacha was actually on the ice for all three of the Black and Gold's goals in this contest and wasn't on the ice for a single Tampa goal against, giving him a game-high plus-3 rating in this one.
Zacha, who is on a four-game point streak to begin his season, is up to one goal and five points through his first week of the 2025-26 campaign.
2nd Star: Jonas Johansson
Oct 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson (31) makes a save against the Bruins during the second period at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson-Imagn Images)
Truth be told, the Bruins could've and probably should've made it a more difficult day at the rink for Lightning netminder Jonas Johansson. Especially in the first period of play. But when the Bruins did pick up the pace and tempo in the second and third periods of play, Johansson stood tall, and shut the door on the B's by way of a 30-of-33 performance in the Tampa crease.
This was especially true in the third period, as the Bruins straight-up doubled up the action on Johansson's goal compared to what was happening at the other end of the rink, with 10 shots on his goal compared to just five against the Bruins' Joonas Korpisalo. But Johansson did not break. Not when the Bruins had a third-period power-play opportunity, or when the team pulled Korpisalo with under two minutes left in the game.
The 6-foot-5 Johansson was also credited with stops on all four high-danger shots faced, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
1st Star: Anthony Cirelli
Oct 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) celebrates his goal against the Bruins during the first period at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson-Imagn Images)
The Bolts aren't in the position they were in the second and third periods of the eventual win without the first-period contributions of center Anthony Cirelli, who was credited with the first two tallies of this one.
In addition to the goals, Cirelli finished this game a block, and with 3:40 of shorthanded time on ice for a Lightning PK that went a perfect 5-for-5.
But perhaps most notable was Cirelli's late-game faceoff redemption. Consider this: Since 2005, only three players have lost more faceoffs in a single game against the Bruins than Cirelli's 19 faceoff losses on Monday.
(That list of three? Bo Horvat lost 20 against the Bruins on Nov. 13, 2022, Sidney Crosby lost 21 against Boston back on Dec. 14, 2016, and Ryan O’Reilly lost 23 faceoffs against the B’s as a member of the Sabres on Feb. 10, 2018.)
But bringing it back to Monday, what's most notable with that miserable day at the dot was its ending for Cirelli, as he came through with two defensive-zone faceoff wins in the final 30 seconds of this game, including what ultimately proved to be the game-deciding win with eight seconds left and a 5-on-3 advantage for the Bruins to the left of Johansson.
