The Boston Bruins have their first winning streak of the season, jumping out to a big lead over the San Jose Sharks early before hanging on for a 4-3 win in a Sunday matinee at TD Garden.
Brad Marchand scored 28 seconds into regulation for the Bruins, who opened up a 3-0 lead on tallies from Derek Forbort and David Pastrnak before San Jose answered later in the first and took a 4-1 lead on Jake DeBrusk's second goal of the season in the middle period, enabling the team to survive two late Sharks goals.
Patrice Bergeron assisted on both Marchand and Pastrnak's goals, while Marchand and Pastrnak added assists themselves, giving the trio yet another multi-point outing together -- their 30th, tied for the most among current NHL teammates.
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But the Bruins received contributions from several other less likely sources in the game, which improved the team's record to 3-1. Here are our takeaways from the Bruins' victory, which was the first loss of the season for San Jose:
Secondary scoring from unlikely sources
When Boston signed defenseman Derek Forbort in the offseason, it certainly didn't do so with any expectations for him to contribute much on the offensive end. But it took him only four games to find the back of the net for the Bruins, giving him his ninth career goal in the 335th game of his career.
Forbort added the second assist on Jake DeBrusk's goal in the second period, giving him his first multipoint game since Dec. 8, 2018, when he had a goal and an assist for the Los Angeles Kings in a win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Originally a first-round draft pick of the Kings in 2010, Forbort has two three-point games in his career, the last coming on Feb. 9, 2018.
Oskar Steen picked up the first point of his career on DeBrusk's goal with the primary assist. The 23-year-old Swede, a sixth-round draft pick of the Bruins in 2016, had 12 goals and 22 assists over 83 games with the Providence Bruins over the last two seasons.
As for DeBrusk, it was his second goal through four games this season. After potting just five in 41 contests in 2020-21, any signs of a turnaround for DeBrusk will be welcome for Boston.
Linus Ullmark solid enough in goal
Boston Bruins
The free agent signing wasn't quite as sharp as he was in his team debut Friday night, when he made 35 stops in a 4-1 win over his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, he made saves when it mattered most for the Bruins Sunday, including two in the final minute to preserve the win.
Through four games, both Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have started two games apiece for the B's. Swayman is 1-1 with a 3.02 goals against average and .885 save percentage, Ullmark is 2-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .935 SV%.
The Bruins don't play again until Wednesday, meaning both Ullmark and Swayman should be well-rested and coach Bruce Cassidy will have an interesting decision to make in who faces the Florida Panthers.
Special teams deliver again
For the second game in a row, the Bruins only took two penalties but killed off both of them. The Bruins are now 3-0 on the season when they don't allow a power play goal, while their lone loss, 6-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers, saw them give up two power play strikes.
The Bruins got a power play goal of their own for the second game in a row, this time from Pastrnak just 12 seconds into a man advantage for a 3-0 lead. Boston is now 2 for 9 on the power play on the young season, with plenty of room to grow.
The Bruins are next in action Wednesday in Florida against the Panthers at 7 p.m. ET.