Pastrnak, Bergeron combine for seven points to lead Bruins past Senators 4-1

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy also had high praise for his goaltender, who had struggled to begin the season, allowing 14 goals in his first four starts.

“Tuukka gave us the saves we needed, for his own self as well,” said.

“We won the special teams battle and our top line, not too many off nights that they’re going to have so they bounced back from Vancouver when they didn’t get on the board, so put those three things together and it’s a good formula for us right now until our younger guys get their offensive game going.”

With the win, the Bruins (5-2-2) snapped a three-game losing streak to wrap up a four-game road trip with a 1-1-2 record.

“It was big (to get two points),” said Pastrnak. “Even though we had two points on this trip we haven’t won and, obviously, every loss feels tough, so good that we (played) hard and got a big win for us.”

Patrice Bergeron chipped in with a goal and two assists, while David Krejci scored his second of the season.

Bruins rookie defenceman Urho Vaakanainen suffered a concussion after taking an elbow to the head from Mark Borowiecki during a scramble in front of the Senators’ net in the first period.

Thomas Chabot scored the lone goal for the Senators (4-3-1), who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end to wrap up a season high five-game homestand with a 3-2-0 record as they depart for a three-game road trip Thursday.

Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots for the loss.

Boston made it 3-1 just 21 seconds into the third on the power play as Bergeron tipped Pastrnak’s shot, and then put the game out of reach as Brad Marchand dangled his way around Dylan DeMelo and found Pastrnak alone at the side for his second of the night.

“I was kind of looking for (Pastrnak) the whole way, but I didn’t see a good lane,” said Marchand. “He reached, I teached and luckily it went in.”

The Senators felt they more than held their own against the Bruins in five-on-five play, which minimized some of the disappointment.

“It’s a game of momentum and we’ve just got to manage the momentum a little better,” said Anderson. “We played a great second period and took the play to them a lot. A lot of good things in that game so nothing to be shaking our head about.”

Trailing 1-0, the Senators tied the game late in the second as Chabot scored a power-play goal from just inside the blueline, but the Bruins quickly regained the lead.

Already shorthanded, the Senators were called for too many men giving the Bruins a two-man advantage and they scored on their first shot as Krejci beat a sprawled Anderson.

The Bruins opened the scoring in the first period as Danton Heinen was able to hold the puck in at the Ottawa blueline and feed Pastrnak, who wristed a shot past Anderson for his ninth of the season.

Bobby Ryan looked poised to get the Senators on the board early in the period on the power play, but just as the puck was about to cross the goal line Brandon Carlo swept it away.

Notes: The Senators’ Alex Formenton returned to the lineup after missing three games with a concussion, but remain without Cody Ceci (upper body), Brady Tkachuk (leg) and Ben Harpur (undisclosed). The Bruins were without Charlie McAvoy (upper body), Kevan Miller (hand), Torey krug (ankle) and David Backes (undisclosed)

Lisa Wallace , The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Pastrnak, Bergeron combine for seven points to lead Bruins past Senators 4-1

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