BOSTON — The Boston Bruins got TD Garden roaring early and often Wednesday in a convincing victory over the struggling New York Rangers.
The Bruins’ success on offense continued in their 6-3 defeat of the Rangers, including a hat trick recorded by David Pastrnak. The winger has been on fire since returning to the Bruins following an off-ice thumb injury, racking up 11 points (five goals, six assists) over the last four games.
Pastrnak now leads the team in goals with 36, overtaking Brad Marchand (34).
After the game, the 22-year-old said performing well is important when returning from an injury like his.
“Yeah, obviously it helps to me coming back, you know, after a long time haven’t missed a game,” he said, “so it was a bit tough at the beginning but it was fun to be back at the Garden and play at the home ice.”
After Wednesday’s stellar performance, head coach Bruce Cassidy said he is pleased with how much progress Pastrnak has made.
“I mean obviously he had a great night, was firing the puck well. I think he’s more comfortable handling it in traffic,” he said. “That was a bit of an issue for a few games there (because) he was still finding his timing.”
With just five games left in the regular season, the Bruins’ win over the Rangers should give the team the momentum they need heading into 1 p.m. ET matinee against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Boston holds a five-point lead on the Washington Capitals for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Here are some other notes on the Rangers-Bruins game:
— Patrice Bergeron continues to impress in his 15th season with the Bruins, earning his 76th point of the season on a goal scored by Pastrnak in the first period. The 33-year-old scored a goal of his own with just 3:27 left in the game for a career-high 77 points this season.
He also got into his first fight in more than two seasons after taking exception to a hit by Rangers forward Lias Andersson in the corner of the Bruins’ defensive zone. It’s the first time he’s gotten into an on-ice scuffle since squaring up with Winnipeg Jets forward (and former Bruin) Blake Wheeler, according to HockeyFights.com.
— Jaroslav Halak had another solid outing between the pipes for the Bruins, pushing away 20 of 23 shots he faced Wednesday evening. Henrik Lundqvist blocked 26 of the 32 shots he faced, as well.
— With tonight’s win, the Bruins are 32-6-5 when scoring the first goal of the game this season. The Rangers now are 12-24-3 this season when allowing the first goal of the game.
— In his return to the ice, Torey Krug passed Craig Janney for the most points earned by a United States-born player in Bruins history with 284 points. The 27-year-old earned the title after notching an assist on a goal scored by David Pastrnak in the second period.
