Bruins flatten Sharks in dominant showing

The only time the Bruins have lost in regulation all season was on the road against the best team in the west and they needed two goals to be erased from reviews for it to happen.

That’s worth keeping in mind following the Bruins 5-1 dominant win over the Sharks at home on Tuesday night, in back-to-back outings where they commanded the bulk of the game following their win in New York on Sunday.

In fact, it’s tough to think of any game where the Bruins looked bad; even their two overtime losses to Toronto and Tampa Bay earned them points, and were far from poor showings.

Against the Sharks, though, and with as close to their full roster as they’ve had all season the Bruins looked like the type of team eager to make a return run to a Cup Final.

On the heels of two losses in Ontario at the end of an opposite-coast road trip, the Sharks looked ready to head back to California early.

Who else but David Pastrnak opened the scoring.

For the sixth time this season, Pastrnak scored the opening goal. This time, with 7:29 gone in the first, Pastrnak rifled a power play goal past Martin Jones to go up 1-0. It was only the fourth man advantage goal allowed by the Sharks all season, who entered Tuesday with the best penalty kill in the league.

The Sharks challenged the goal for offside, but lost, giving the Bruins another power play chance right after, cut short by a Matt Grzelcyk penalty.

David Krejci, in his first game back after missing five contests with an upper body injury, blasted his first power play goal of the year with 17:51 gone in the first. He took a pass from Torey Krug and fired from the right circle to put the Bruins ahead 2-0.

San Jose cut into the B’s lead just 1:31 into the first on a power play with Krejci in the box for a hook. Brent Burns blasted a shot from the blue line that found room and got through Tuukka Rask for a 2-1 contest.

A monster shift from Krejci and Heinen 5:21 into the frame put the Bruins ahead by two again.

Krejci slid the puck towards the crease and Coyle tapped in his second goal of the season — in back-to-back games — and it was 3-1.

By the time the Bruins stuck again three minutes later, they were toying with the Sharks.

A bad turnover from Tim Heed led to David Backes splitting the middle on a pass to Chris Wagner, who netted his first goal of the season on a breakaway to put the Bruins up 4-1.

It was all part of one of the most dominant second periods the Bruins had all season, and that’s coming off of a four-goal middle frame against the Rangers just two days prior.

Brandon Carlo topped it all off with his second goal of the season on a knucklepuck from the point that floated past Jones with 5:10 left in the period for a 5-1 lead.

Zdeno Chara and Evander Kane, who fought in a game last season, chirped multiple times in the third period, with Chara looking to engage in a fight following a Kane high-sticking penalty, and then some shenanigans later on in the frame.

Brett Ritchie and Barclay Goodrow engaged in a bout late, then Logan Couture and Brad Marchand attempted it behind the net as the Sharks frustration boiled over.

It didn’t help much, as they didn’t find the scoresheet again and it was long over well before they engaged physically.

The Bruins face the Senators at home on Saturday in the second game of a three-game homestand before embarking on a road trip next week.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2BSAoOZ