Bruins Wrap: David Pastrnak’s Two Goals Help Boston Stun Lightning

Boston improves to 18-11-2

The Boston Bruins went down to Tampa Bay and stunned the Lightning on Saturday with a 5-2 verdict.

With the win, Boston improves to 18-11-2 on the season while Tampa falls to 23-9-5.

Here’s the full box score.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Sometimes a good start is all it takes.

Boston had two of those in Tampa, aggressively coming out in the first and second periods and getting rewarded for it.

The Bruins scored their first two goals of the game within six minutes of puck drop, and another in the first 30 seconds of the second frame. The early insurance came in handy, too, with the Lightning scoring twice in the third. Despite all the pressure, Boston held on for the win.

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STARS OF THE GAME
— David Pastrnak gave the Bruins exactly what they needed from puck drop. He started the offensive pressure against the Lightning, and by getting pucks on net early, he capitalized. His first goal came 1:11 into the game, and followed that up just under five minutes later.

— Oskar Steen has been on a tear lately, making it impossible to take ice time away. He now has five points in seven games this season thanks to an assist on Anton Blidh’s goal in the second frame.

— Taylor Hall seems to be enjoying having Pastnak on the second line with him, and he notched an assist on both of Pastrnak’s first-period goals. He’s up to six points in 2022, riding a five-game point streak.

— Honorable mention? Brad Marchand’s empty netter for his second goal of the game couldn’t have come at a better time, giving Boston some breathing room to close out the third.

WAGER WATCH
Pastrnak was a player who offered great value on his player props. Entering the game, DraftKings Sportsbook set his odds at +155 as an anytime scorer or +1000 to score the first goal of the game.

NEXT UP ON NESN
The Bruins head to Washington D.C. where they’ll take on the Capitals on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. As always, there will be an hour of pregame and postgame coverage on NESN.