BOSTON — For a team that’s struggled all season with secondary scoring, the Boston Bruins couldn’t have been overjoyed when David Pastrnak — who leads the team in goals, assists and points — went down with a thumb injury.
You’d never know it Tuesday night, though.
In a 6-3 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks at TD Garden, the Bruins got goals from five different scorers. David Krejci potted a pair, while Danton Heinen, Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk and Peter Cehlarik added the others.
It was a result that certainly had to ease some concerns, and though they won’t deliver that kind of scoring onslaught every night, it shows they can stay afloat without Pastrnak, who will be out at least two weeks.
“It was one of those games where the puck was going in the net for us — hopefully it will keep going that way,” Krejci said. “We’re obviously going to miss (Pastrnak), but it was a good confidence booster for some of the guys so hopefully they can build on that and carry it on to the next games.”
With his goal, DeBrusk snapped a goalless streak that had spanned north of a month. Heinen’s tally was his third in four games, while Cehlarik’s was his fourth in 11 games since being recalled from Providence. Whether or not that’s a sign that everyone is rounding into form at the right time, the point remains simple: the Bruins need guys to continue contributing with Pastrnak out.
“Yeah, we’re going to need contributions from everybody with Pasta going down there for a bit,” Marchand said. “Heinen was unreal tonight, made a lot of big plays; Jake was very clutch tonight as well, so great games by them. You know, it’s fun to see them play like that and add so much depth to our group. Heinen has been great the last little bit, so we need that to continue.”
Tuesday’s win was the third straight for the Bruins and concluded a quality three-game homestand on the right note. Now they’ll trek out to the other side of the country for a five-game road trip beginning Friday against the Anaheim Ducks. The brutal West Coast journey sometimes can take a toll on teams, so we’re in for a good test of the Bruins’ resilience over the next few contests.
