BOSTON — The Bruins received points from nine different players Saturday night as they raced past the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden.
Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Torey Krug each netted a second-period goal in the 3-1 win, which improved the Bruins to 2-5-1 on home ice this season.
FIRST PERIOD
Boston controlled possession for much of the opening period, outshooting Detroit 12-5 after neither team managed a shot on goal in the first five minutes.
Frank Vatrano had perhaps the Bruins’ best scoring chance, shooting a puck that slipped through goalie Petr Mrazek but slid straight across the crease. Krug also tested Mrazek on two occasions in the period’s final minutes.
The Red Wings came up empty on two quality chances, with stud rookie Dylan Larkin ringing the crossbar and Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask denying Justin Abdelkader on a 2-on-1.
SECOND PERIOD
Seven more scoreless minutes ensued before Bergeron finally got the Bruins on the board.
Bergeron fired a shot that deflected off Mrazek’s blocker and over the goalie’s head, and as it sat in the crease, the Bruin was there to knock in his own rebound.
Matt Beleskey and Zdeno Chara assisted on the goal.
Krejci extended Boston’s lead four minutes later with one of the prettiest goals scored by a Bruins player this season.
After gaining possession near the blue line, the centerman dangled around Red Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl and fired a shot past Mrazek for his team-leading eighth goal. He scored just seven in 47 games last season.
Loui Eriksson and Zach Trotman were credited with assists, giving Trotman, who returned to the lineup Saturday in place of the injured Colin Miller, his first point of the season.
The Bruins proceeded to add one more goal before the end of the frame, with Krug during the honors for the first time this season.
Brad Marchand initiated the rush by stealing the puck from Henrik Zetterberg at the Boston blue line, then skated in wide on defenseman Mike Green. When Green went for a poke check, Marchand dished it off, finding a trailing Krug for the goal.
Krug entered Sunday tied for the team lead with 10 assists but had yet to find the back of the net himself.
THIRD PERIOD
It took until the seventh minute of the final period for the Red Wings to solve Rask.
Zac Rinaldo was sent to the penalty box on a questionable tripping call — his first minor penalty of the season — and Abdelkader capitalized against Bruins’ NHL-worst penalty-killing unit. His backhander cut Detroit’s deficit to 3-1, but that’s as close as the Red Wings got.
Rask finished with 22 saves — including several of the highlight-reel variety — and the Bruins killed off an Adam McQuaid boarding penalty with less than four minutes remaining to put the finishing touches on their eighth win of the season.
UP NEXT
The Bruins’ five-game homestand rolls on Tuesday night, when old friend Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks come to town.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
