Flyers blown out by NHL-best Bruins; will they get back up again?

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Playing their best hockey in over two and a half years, the Flyers saw the tallest measuring stick yet Monday afternoon.

And they're still staring up at it.

John Tortorella's team was steamrolled by the juggernaut Bruins, 6-0, at TD Garden in Boston on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Flyers (18-19-7) are 7-2-0 since the NHL-mandated holiday break. The two losses have been blowouts to bona-fide contenders — a 6-2 spanking by the Maple Leafs and this drubbing at the hands of the Bruins.

The Flyers went 0 for 6 on the power play Monday. Boston put up two goals each period.

The Bruins (34-5-4) are a dominant 21-1-3 at home.

Boston was led by a trio of three-point performances. David Pastrnak buried his 34th and 35th markers of the season to go along with an assist. Pavel Zacha also had a two-goal, one-assist day, while David Krejci dished three helpers in his 1,000th career NHL game.

The Flyers are 0-2-0 against the Bruins this season. The clubs meet for a final time April 9 in Philadelphia.

• Coming in, the Flyers had given up four or more goals just once since the holiday break.

Boston put up four on them in under 25 minutes.

The Flyers have made progress but the blowouts to the Maple Leafs and Bruins show they still have a ways to go.

They don't have to be too embarrassed by Monday's margin of defeat. The Bruins are 14-2-0 in games decided by three or more goals. This isn't the first time they've clobbered a team.

But, no doubt, the Flyers have had a couple of telling barometers against Toronto and Boston. When they were worked by the Maple Leafs, they responded well the very next day.

That will be their challenge again.

Coming off a two-game sweep of the Capitals, Carter Hart was pulled before the midway point of this one.

The 24-year-old allowed four goals on 16 shots. The Flyers did little to help him against the NHL's No. 1 club.

The Flyers play Tuesday, so perhaps this was Tortorella's way of giving Hart a chance to jump back in net the next day.

Hart had no chance to stop Pastrnak's game-opening goal in the first period. The Bruins forced a turnover and the NHL's second-leading goal scorer was uncovered at Hart's doorstep for an easy tap-in marker.

Zacha's second goal — and Hart's fourth and final allowed — went off of Nick Seeler's skate.

Samuel Ersson recorded 11 saves on 13 shots in relief.

Boston backup Jeremy Swayman stopped 29 shots to blank the Flyers.

• Emotions boiled a bit in the third period.

Nicolas Deslauriers wasn't happy with A.J. Greer's hit on Tony DeAngelo.

The Bruins never felt the need to fight given they were in complete command.

• The Flyers are right back at it Tuesday when they host the Ducks (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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