For as poor of a start as the Bruins had to their road trip — and there’s no denying how poor it was, with a 13-2 scoring edge for their opponents through just two games — it was still more than salvageable when the team woke up in Vancouver on Saturday morning.
In fact, with three games left before their flight back to Boston, an over-.500-road-trip was still a possibility. But it had to begin Saturday night against the Canucks.
The Bruins heard that, and delivered, with a 5-1 beatdown over the Canucks.
Third Star: Brad Marchand
Dec 14, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) reacts as Bruins forwards Brad Marchand (63) and Pavel Zacha (18) celebrate Marchand’s goal during the first period at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
Bruins captain Brad Marchand feeds off boos. Unfortunately for the locals, those in Vancouver missed that memo, and their jeering of Marchand proved to be the perfect intro to Marchand’s game-opening power-play marker against the hometown team early into Saturday’s contest.
Marchand’s goal continued what’s been a hot stretch for No. 63, with goals in four of his last five games, and five goals in total over that span. Overall, Marchand has eight goals and 11 points in 12 games since the Black and Gold made the switch from Jim Montgomery to interim head coach Joe Sacco, and the Bruins are 5-1-0 over that 12-game sample when Marchand scores at least one goal.
Second Star: Pavel Zacha
Dec 14, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha (18) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid/Imagn Images)
Deployed for 19:12 of action in this contest, Pavel Zacha got himself back on the board after two straight quiet nights, with one goal and three points for the Black and Gold. With points in all three periods, too, Zacha certainly made the most of his night, and was a thorn in the Canucks’ sides seemingly every time he was out there.
The Bruins are now 3-0-0 this season when Zacha has a multi-point effort, and going back to the start of the 2022-23 season, the Bruins are now 26-1-1 when Zacha records at least two points.
First Star: David Pastrnak
Dec 14, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak (88) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid/Imagn Images
For the Bruins to be the best version of themselves, they need David Pastrnak to produce at a Hart Trophy-level. Pastrnak did that in 2022-23, and did it again last season. But this year? Ehhhhh, it’s been a little hit and miss, with some notable ‘takeover’ performances coming with that Oct. 26 win over Toronto and that comeback victory in St. Louis, but other nights coming with you going, “Man, Pastrnak needs to do more.”
Well, No. 88 did it all Saturday in Vancouver, with a goal and three assists in the B’s victory. (And for Pastrnak, the assist on the Zacha tally in the second period was the 400th of his NHL career.)
Overall, the four-point outing was Pastrnak’s first four-point outing of the season, and was actually his first since Apr. 9, 2023 against the Flyers.
