ESPN News Services3 minute read
BOSTON — Linus Ullmark made 24 saves to help the NHL-leading Boston Bruins beat Patrick Kane and the New York Rangers 4-2 on Saturday.
Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Charlie Coyle and Tomas Nosek scored, and new addition Tyler Bertuzzi had an assist on his debut as the Bruins earned their 10th straight win. Boston improved to 26-2-3 at home and increased its season total to 103 points.
“For us, it’s the Stanley Cup. That’s the only thing,” Ullmark said. “Records are made to be broken, but once you have the hardware, they can’t be taken away from you.”
The goal was Pastrnak’s 44th this season and came two days after Boston announced his contract extension. Bergeron’s goal was his 23rd.
Playing his first game since posting a team-high 54 saves in an overtime win at Calgary on Tuesday, Ullmark improved his record to 32-4-1.
Alexis Lafrenière scored both goals for New York and Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 shots, but the Rangers lost six of eight and Kane, reunited with former Chicago Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin on the same line, is struggling.
Kane, acquired in a trade with Chicago on Tuesday, is scoreless and 4 under in two games with the Rangers, and the team is 0-2.
“There was a lot of good, but there was also bad,” said New York coach Gerard Gallant, who agreed Panarin and Kane were trying to do too much in their first week back. together. “They try to force the game too much in the middle, and there are too many turnovers. Like I said, there’s chemistry there, but you have to make sure we make good plays.”
Boston forward Brad Marchand returned to the lineup after missing the last half of Thursday’s win with a lower body injury.
After becoming the fastest team in NHL history to reach 100 points in their previous game, the Bruins completed a three-game sweep over the Rangers.
Acquired in a trade with Detroit on Thursday, Bertuzzi collected the puck behind the net and sent it to Coyle, who once beat it by Shesterkin to make it 1-0 at 18:07 of the first period. The new Bruins forward raised his stick and pointed at Coyle after picking up his first point with the club.
“It was awesome,” Bertuzzi said of his debut. “Start with the anthem, it’s a pretty cool anthem. All the guys were great. It feels good to get rid of this one and now I’m moving on.”
Coyle then centered a pass to a cutting Nosek, who moved quickly to the edge of the slot before slotting the puck into the net just past Shesterkin’s left skate 30 seconds into the second period.
The spirited game – with fans singing for each team – featured two teams bolstering their playoff rosters ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
New York picked up three-time Stanley Cup champion Kane from Chicago and four-time All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis, while Boston also got defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from Washington before shaking Bertuzzi , who scored 30 goals last season.
New York now has some time to regroup and perhaps reset its lines. The Rangers, ranked third in the Metropolitan Division, won’t play again until Thursday, when they face the Montreal Canadiens.
“Obviously we want to win hockey games and we’re not happy to lose,” Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad said. “But, we have a little break now, and a few days to rest and start again.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.