The Boston Bruins added to the win column with a third consecutive victory as they defeated the San Jose Sharks, 4-2, at SAP Center at San Jose on Saturday night.
The Bruins improved their NHL-best record to 31-4-4, while the Sharks fell to 12-21-8 on their campaign.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston has made it abundantly clear that its a dangerous team when taking an early lead. However, the Bruins would come face-to-face with some unfamiliar struggles against the Sharks.
And as they’ve also done on various occasions, the Bruins found a way to earn a win.
In the second period, the Bruins dug themselves quite a hole. The pendulum swung in favor of the Sharks when Boston did harm by its own cause through a series of penalties. The infractions, in combination with one epic equalizing goal from the Sharks, created an adversity storm that Boston would have to weather, which it did.
Courtesy of David Pastrnak, the Bruins wouldn’t need to worry for very long. Pastrnak netted back-to-back goals in the final two periods to put Boston ahead and provide comforting assurance. Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark displayed his All-Star-caliber skillset and held the Sharks scoreless in the final frame on 15 shots on goal.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Shortly after the Sharks knotted the score even at 2-2, Pastrnak came to the rescue. He buried the go-ahead score on the power play to quickly respond to San Jose. Then in the third, he found the back of the net again to finish with two goals.
— Brad Marchand got it started early and netted the game-opening score past Sharks goalie James Reimer. Marchand’s contribution didn’t end there. He also proceeded to assist on both of Pastrnak’s crucial late-game goals.
— Linus Ullmark overcame a few frustrating scores from San Jose to come through when it mattered most. The 29-year-old saved 28-of-30 shot attempts from the Sharks and notched his 10th road win in the process.
WAGER WATCH
Before game time, DraftKings Sportsbook set the odds of Marchand serving as the first scorer at +1000. He wasted no time, getting the Bruins ahead just 1:03 into the game. A $100 bet placed on Marchand would’ve resulted in a $1,100 total payout.
UP NEXT ON NESN
The Bruins wrap up their three-game California road trip on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks. Puck drop from Honda Center is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, along with an hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
