Bruins vs. Penguins Takeaways: Zacha, Geekie Lead Dominant Road Win originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins continued their strong start to the season Thursday night, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 at PPG Paints Arena.
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Pittsburgh opened the scoring midway through the first period, but Boston quickly took control with three unanswered goals before the opening intermission. The Bruins added two more in the second period before Fraser Minten extended the lead in the third.
Pavel Zacha scored twice, while Morgan Geekie, Mark Kastelic, Elias Lindholm and Minten also found the back of the net. David Pastrnak and JJ Peterka each recorded two assists, and Michael DiPietro made 16 saves in the victory.
The win extended Boston’s winning streak to three games and improved its record to 12-4-1.
Here are four takeaways from the Bruins’ win over the Penguins.
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Boston’s top line continued to find ways to generate offense, with Zacha leading the way Thursday night.
After Justin Brazeau gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead, the Bruins responded with a goal from Zacha at 12:07 of the first period. Peterka knocked down a bouncing puck before finding Pastrnak, who delivered a saucer pass to Zacha in the slot. The forward finished the play with a shot into the top of the net to even the score.
Zacha wasn’t finished there.
The 29-year-old scored again at 14:24 of the second period to restore Boston’s two-goal advantage. Peterka sent an aerial pass through the neutral zone, and Zacha finished the opportunity with help from Pastrnak.
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Both goals highlighted the chemistry developing between Boston’s top forwards. Pastrnak and Peterka each finished with two assists, giving the line another productive night offensively.
Zacha’s two-goal performance also gave Boston another scoring threat alongside Pastrnak, who continues to be one of the team’s most important offensive contributors.
Boston didn’t rely on one line to get the job done Thursday.
Four different forwards found the back of the net, giving the Bruins plenty of offensive support beyond their top line.
Kastelic put Boston ahead 2-1 late in the first period with a well-timed deflection of Frederic Brunet’s point shot. The goal was particularly important as the Bruins looked to take control after allowing Pittsburgh to score first.
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Lindholm added another goal less than two minutes later after intercepting an attempted clearing pass from Erik Karlsson. The Bruins center took advantage of the turnover and beat Arturs Silovs to give Boston a 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission.
Geekie continued his recent offensive production with a goal late in the second period. He collected Hampus Lindholm’s pass, created space, and fired a shot past Silovs for his third goal in as many games.
Minten put the finishing touches on the performance in the third period. Geekie found him with a stretch pass, and Minten carried the puck down the right side before beating Silovs with a shot to the blocker side.
Having multiple lines contribute offensively has been an important part of Boston’s success. Thursday’s performance provided another example of how the Bruins can get production from throughout their lineup.
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The Bruins came away with a convincing win, but their defensive performance wasn’t quite as dominant as the final score suggests.
Boston allowed Pittsburgh to open the scoring in the first period, with Brazeau finding space in the right circle for a one-timer. The Penguins also managed to get another goal past DiPietro in the second period when Nick Robertson redirected a point shot through the goaltender’s five-hole.
While the Bruins limited Pittsburgh to just 18 shots on goal, they still gave the Penguins a few opportunities they would like to clean up. Allowing the opposition to generate quality looks and get traffic in front of the net can become a bigger problem against tougher competition.
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Pittsburgh also scored on its first shot of the game, which isn’t the type of start Boston wants to establish, particularly when playing with a lead. The Bruins’ defensive group will need to do a better job of limiting those early opportunities and protecting the area in front of DiPietro.
The 18 shots allowed were encouraging, but the two goals showed there is still room for improvement with defensive coverage and net-front presence. Boston’s offense gave it enough breathing room to overcome those mistakes Thursday, but that won’t always be the case against stronger opponents.
Thursday’s victory did come with one concerning moment for Boston.
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Rookie forward James Hagens left the game in the third period after taking a cross-check to the back from Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard.
Hagens did not return to the contest, and there was no immediate update on his status following the game.
The rookie has been an important part of Boston’s offensive production this season. He entered Thursday tied for the NHL rookie lead with six goals and ranked second on the Bruins in that category.
Hagens has consistently found ways to contribute despite his age, giving Boston another offensive option alongside its established veterans.
The Bruins were able to finish the night comfortably without him, but his status will be something to monitor heading into their next game.
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Boston will look to carry its three-game winning streak into Sunday’s matchup against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden.
