David Pastrnak had a hat trick and five others had a goal each on Tuesday night as the Boston Bruins embarassed the Montreal Canadiens 8-1 at the Belle Centre in Montreal.
Jake Debrusk got it started with a powerplay goal 8:03 in. Debrusk took a pass from Sean Kuraly in the slot and wristed one past Montreal goalie Carey Price to make it 1-0. Shea Weber tied it 4:38 later. Weber slapped home a big rebound off a Thomas Tatar shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle past Boston goalie Jaroslav Halak. Pastrnak got his first of the night on the powerplay at 14:24. Charlie Coyle went cross ice to find Pastrnak in the faceoff circle to the right of Price, who fired it home to give the Bruins a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Brad Marchand picked up his 600th career point off a Montreal turnover late in the period. Jeff Petry lost control of the puck near his own net, and Marchand swooped in and went forehand to backhand on Price at 19:23 to make it 3-1.
Before alot of the fans even got back in their seats for the second period, Pastrnak struck again. Pastrnak took a feed at the Canadiens blue line right off the opening faceoff and streaked from left to right along the top of the left faceoff circle and fired a wrister into the net just eight seconds in. It only took 1:02 for yet another goal as Kuraly stole a puck from Petry at center ice and sent in Anders Bjork on a breakaway. Bjork deeked Price and beat him stick side to make it 5-1, and would end the Canadien goaltenders night. Pastrnak completed the hat trick at 9:06. Brandon Carlo kept a puck in at the blue line and fired one towards the net that Pastrnak deflected in for his NHL leading 23rd goal.
Coyle made it 7-1 when he buried a shot in the slot off a backhanded feed from Torey Krug at 8:26 of the third period. Jack Studnicka registered his first career NHL point with an assist to end the scoring at 17:58. Studnicka backhanded a pass out front from behind the net to Danton Heinen in the slot who deposited it into the top corner of the net, after many of the 21,302 disgruntled fans had left for the evening. Boston improves their Atlantic Division best record to 16-3-5.
Halak made 36 saves in the Bruins win, as Montreal outshot Boston 37-24. Price only stopped six out of 11, before being relieved by Keith Kinkaid who stopped 10 of 13 in the Canadiens loss. Pastrnak (3 goals), Coyle (1 G, 2A), Kuraly (3A), and Marchand (1G, 2A) all had three points each. David Krejci and Krug each added two assists. Boston was 2-2 on the powerplay, while Montreal went 0-2. The Canadiens drop to 11-8-5. The Bruins who are tied for the best record in the NHL are in Ottawa to play the Senators on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
