Bruins batter the Cup champs

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GOLD STAR: David Krejci continues to look like a different player with a top flight power forward like Rick Nash by his side. Krejci got his first hat trick in exactly six years for the Bruins, and has helped power the Bruins offense without Patrice Bergeron in the lineup for the last couple of games. Krejci finished with the three goals, a plus-1 rating in 16:25 of ice time, three shots on net, five shot attempts, one hit and a 6-for-15 performance in the face-off circle. Most impressive was probably his two power play goals that really helped the man advantage get back on track, and were scored because he was going hard to the net where the goals are scored at this time of year. The biggest reason the Bruins performed this way against the Penguins sans Bergeron is because Krejci came to play.

BLACK EYE: Casey DeSmith was brutal while trying to step in for the injured Matt Murray and it really sunk the Bruins before they could even get going. DeSmith gave up three goals on the first five shots that he faced and was out of the game before the six minute mark in the first period. Certainly the Penguins weren’t very good in front of their backup goaltender either, but it can’t give Pittsburgh much hope they can excel without their No. 1 when the two backups are giving up five goals in the first period to the Boston Bruins. It’s a tough break for the former UNH goalie that’s getting his chance in the NHL right now, but Mike Sullivan had seen enough after a couple of fluky goals got by him early in the game. That can’t happen at this time of year, and a young goalie won’t get the benefit of the doubt like Tuukka Rask got with Bruce Cassidy after his own tough first period.

TURNING POINT: The Bruins could have been in a tough spot after allowing a goal in the final seconds of the first period that closed it to a two-goal game for the Penguins. Tuukka Rask wasn’t very good in the opening 20 minutes and it appeared no lead was going to be safe with the fire-wagon hockey that was going on between both sides. But Brian Dumoulin took a holding call just 28 seconds into the second period and the Bruins power play made the Penguins pay like they really haven’t over the last month. Jake DeBrusk worked to keep a puck alive in the offensive end, and Nick Holden found David Krejci wide open in front for a goal that again widened things to a three-goal lead. The Bruins never really looked back again after that.

HONORABLE MENTION: David Pastrnak had been pretty quiet offensively as of late, but it was incumbent on him to step up now that Patrice Bergeron is going to be out of the lineup for a little while. That’s exactly what he did on Thursday night while scoring a pair of goals, notching three points, a plus-1 rating and nine shot attempts in 15:13 of ice time for the Bruins. It was his fluttering, fluke goal in the first period that eventually helped chase Casey DeSmith from the game, and it was No. 88 that again punctuated things late in the proceedings when the Bruins were piling up the offensive numbers. The real encouraging thing was that Pastrnak wasn’t just scoring, but battling for pucks and tossing his weight around a little in a very physical game against the Penguins.

BY THE NUMBERS: 300 – the number of career assists for Brian Gionta after his first helper on the David Backes goal in the first period. Gionta finished with two assists in the game, so now he has 301 apples in his extensive NHL career.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “They’ve fit in seamlessly. You’ve got veteran guys that have been in other locker rooms. I can’t speak to whether they’re good or bad or in different locker rooms. I know that ours is terrific when it comes to our leadership. I think our young guys have really helped it, as well because they bring a lot of energy. They all have their own personality, but they’re respectful. They want to learn from these veteran guys. So [We’ve got] that mix in there.” –Bruce Cassidy, on how the new guys have worked into the Bruins mix since the trade deadline.  

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