Zacha Scores Twice as Bruins Roll Past Penguins 6-2 for Third Straight Win
Pavel Zacha scored twice and Morgan Geekie added a goal and an assist as Boston answered Pittsburgh’s early lead with three goals in 6:50 of the first period.
The Bruins fell behind on the first shot of the night, then took PPG Paints Arena apart. Pavel Zacha scored twice, Morgan Geekie added a goal and an assist, and Boston poured in six even-strength goals to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 on Thursday. Final: Bruins 6, Penguins 2.
Boston moves to 12-4-1 with 25 points and 5-3-1 on the road. That keeps the Bruins first in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of Montreal (10-3-3, 23 points). Pittsburgh falls to 5-9-2 and has dropped four in a row (0-3-1).
Brazeau opens it. Justin Brazeau put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0 at 9:04 of the first, snapping home his first of the season from the right circle off a setup from Hendrix Lapierre below the goal line, with Kaedan Korczak picking up the other assist. It came on Pittsburgh’s first shot on goal.
Boston’s burst. The Bruins scored three times in 6:50 before the intermission. Zacha tied it at 12:07 with a wrist shot over Arturs Silovs after David Pastrnak’s pass through the crease, with JJ Peterka getting the other assist. That was Zacha’s fourth of the season. Mark Kastelic made it 2-1 at 15:04, tipping Frederic Brunet’s point shot in the slot, with Tanner Jeannot also assisting, for his third of the year. Elias Lindholm finished the burst at 18:57. After intercepting a pass from Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, he faked a shot, froze Silovs and slid one under the glove, unassisted, for his sixth.
Zacha and Geekie pull away. Nick Robertson cut it to 3-2 at 7:57 of the second, redirecting a Korczak shot for his team-leading seventh goal, with Blake Lizotte also assisting. Zacha answered at 14:24, wiring a wrist shot from Peterka on a 2-on-1 for his second of the night and fifth of the season, with Pastrnak picking up another assist. Geekie then broke away at 16:57, taking a pass from Hampus Lindholm during a Pittsburgh line change and beating Silovs for his fourth of the year. Geekie has now scored in three straight games.
Minten caps it. Fraser Minten snapped home a 2-on-1 at 8:39 of the third, assisted by Geekie, for his sixth of the season and the 6-2 final. James Hagens left early in the third after taking a cross-check to the back from Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard.
In net. Michael DiPietro stopped 16 of 18 shots for the win. Silovs made 18 saves on 24 shots and took the loss. Boston outshot Pittsburgh 24-18 (11-5, 9-10, 4-3 by period). Both teams went 0-for-1 on the power play.
Stat of the Night: 6:50. The span of Boston’s three first-period goals after falling behind 1-0. Boston won faceoffs 31-19 (62%), blocked 22 shots to Pittsburgh’s 7, and outhit the Penguins 24-18.
Three stars. 1. Pavel Zacha (BOS): two goals. 2. Morgan Geekie (BOS): a goal and an assist. 3. David Pastrnak (BOS): two assists.
What it means. The Bruins trailed once and then buried Pittsburgh with six even-strength goals. They’ve won three straight and five of seven, and they sit first in the Atlantic at 12-4-1. Geekie now has 13 points (4G, 9A), and Pastrnak is up to 22 (8G, 14A) after two helpers. Next up, the Florida Panthers visit TD Garden on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. ET. Let’s go, B’s! 🐻