\u00ab\u00a0We talked about the importance of this game and not creating a losing streak.\u00a0\u00bb<\/b>
\n\u00ab\u00a0We talked about the importance of this game and not creating a losing streak.\u00a0\u00bb
It didn\u2019t take long for the Boston Bruins to put the Golden Knights on the ropes Thursday night at TD Garden.
Boston\u2019s eventual 4-3 win over Vegas was fueled by an impressive offensive salvo generated by Marco Sturm\u2019s team in the first period \u2014 with the Bruins scoring three goals in the span of just 54 seconds.
According to NHL.com writer Joe McDonald, Thursday marked the three fastest goals scored by Boston in a game since Dec. 20, 2001 \u2014 when Brian Rolston, Andy Hilbert, and Rob Zamuner all lit the lamp in 52 seconds in a 5-0 win over Montreal.
Charlie McAvoy, Elias Lindholm, and Tanner Jeannot all scored in less than a minute on Thursday, with Boston bouncing back after suffering a 6-2 lopsided loss to the Stars on Tuesday. Boston has now won nine out of its last 11 games.
\u201cWe talked before the game that this game was huge,\u201d McAvoy said postgame. \u201cThis was a really important game. Obviously everybody knows our team \u2014 we\u2019ve been a little bit of up and down. And we talked about the importance of this game and not creating a losing streak.
\u201cSomething where we\u2019re trying to dig our way out of, like we have been. So I think we came out strong \u2014 special teams were great, and it was really important for us to capitalize on home ice.\u201d
A double minor for high-sticking assessed against Tomas Hertl after he caught Alex Steeves in the face allowed Boston to strike nine minutes into the game.
Just 11 seconds after Boston\u2019s power play commenced, McAvoy gave Boston an early lead \u2014 taking a feed from David Pastrnak and uncorking a one-timer that sailed past Vegas goalie Akira Schmid to make it a 1-0 game.
Just 30 seconds later \u2014 and with Hertl still mired in the sin bin \u2014 Lindholm got in on the fun.
A crisp passing sequence between McAvoy, Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Lindholm allowed Boston to double its lead.
After McAvoy lofted the puck over to Geekie at the left circle, the Bruins winger fired a feed to Pastrnak at the right circle. Without hesitating, Pastrnak dished it back to a lurking Lindholm in the low slot \u2014 who snapped the offering home to make it a 2-0 game.
Boston didn\u2019t let up even as the game reverted to 5-on-5 play.
After Boston\u2019s checking line hemmed in Vegas below their net, Golden Knights blueliner Ben Hutton attempted to ferry the puck out of danger. But after getting tangled up by Jeannot, Hutton lofted the puck toward the blue line in hopes of a clear.
It was intercepted by Sean Kuraly, who fed it ahead to Jeannot before the Bruins bruiser roofed it over Schmid. It marked Jeannot\u2019s fifth goal of the season and the 100th career assist for Kuraly.
As impressive as Thursday\u2019s surge was, it wasn\u2019t the fastest trio of Bruins tallies in franchise history. During the 1970-71 season, Johnny Bucyk, Ed Westfall, and Ted Green all scored in 20 seconds as part of an 8-2 win over the Canucks on Feb. 25, 1971.
The Bruins needed that three-goal outburst in the first period, as the Golden Knights made it a game after scoring three goals of their own in the third period.
But Boston doled out enough damage ahead of those final 20 minutes to secure another two points in the standings.
Pastrnak scored Boston\u2019s eventual game-winning goal off a slick feed from Nikita Zadorov at 7:25 in the second period, while Joonas Korpisalo made several Grade-A stops en route to his fourth win in a row.
The Bruins \u2014 who have won six straight games at TD Garden \u2014 will now host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
\u201cWe definitely made some mistakes, but we didn\u2019t stop playing,\u201d Pastrnak said. \u201cLike I said, that\u2019s a good team over there. They made their push. \u2026 Yes, we have to be better. Keep playing on our toes and keep extending the lead and don\u2019t sit back.
\u201cBut like I said, we\u2019ll take the win. We\u2019ve been playing some good hockey in this building and the fans are behind us. So just have to keep building on that.\u201d<\/p>\n