The Boston Bruins snapped their season-high three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.
The Bruins improved their NHL-best record to 39-7-5, while the Maple Leafs fell to 31-13-8 on their season.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Bruins had one task at hand when they took the ice in Toronto: Getting back in the win column, and that's exactly what they did.
Yet, as had been a constant for the Bruins throughout their five-game road trip, Boston wouldn't have it easy, contrary to the final score. Similar to several instances on the trip, Boston encountered some final-period trouble.
However, the ending wouldn't follow that trend. In fact, the Bruins were uplifted by their defense and a few dark-horse scorers -- Derek Forbort and Brandon Carlo -- who each entered the contest with three total goals. The Bruins also received an elite third-period insurance boost from Pavel Zacha.
Just when it appeared Boston's rival would threaten a four-game losing streak to end the first half of the season, the Bruins flipped the switch in a major way.
Meanwhile, All-Star Linus Ullmark snapped out of an uncharacteristic cold streak of his own. After back-to-back losses, Ullmak helped maintain a two-goal lead in the final 8:03 minutes of the game to show his appreciation for Zacha's late-game offense.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Zacha helped close the door on Toronto with his two-goal showing, both of which came in the third period. Zacha provided the Bruins with back-to-back insurance goals within a three-minute span.
-- Ullmark recorded 33 saves against the Maple Leafs, which became his third 32-plus save showing in the month of January.
-- A.J. Greer, who also scored in the third period, supplied what proved to be a critical goal for Boston.
WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook set the odds of Forbort being the opening scorer of the game at +6000 prior to puck drop. The defenseman's second short-handed score of the season cleared those odds and a $100 bet on Forbort would've resulted in a $6,100 total payout.
UP NEXT ON NESN
The Bruins will return to their home ice after the NHL All-Star Game break and face off against the Washington Capitals on Feb. 11. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET with coverage courtesy of ABC. The Black and Gold will air live on NESN, along with an hour of pregame coverage, for the following contest against the Dallas Stars on Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
