DENVER — In a decisive victory for the Boston Bruins, David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm struck within a span of just 13 seconds during the second period, propelling their team to a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. This loss marked the fourth consecutive defeat for the Avalanche, the longest season-opening losing streak for the team since the 1998-99 season. That particular team, featuring legendary players such as Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Patrick Roy, managed to reach the Western Conference finals before being defeated by Dallas.
In addition to Pastrnak and Lindholm, goals from Cole Koepke and Charlie Coyle helped boost the Bruins’ score, with John Beecher sealing the game by scoring into an empty net with just over two minutes left on the clock. Bruins’ goaltender Joonas Korpisalo played a solid game, making 22 saves.
On the other side, the Avalanche, plagued by injuries, had contributions from Ross Colton, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. Although the Bruins had a comfortable 4-1 lead halfway through the second period, the Avalanche fought back, narrowing the gap to 4-3 with Rantanen’s goal at the 15:08 mark of the third.
In net for Colorado, Alexandar Georgiev conceded four goals in total, bringing his total to 17 goals allowed over the first four games of the season. Last year, Georgiev was the top netminder in the league with 38 victories.
An incident caught the attention of fans when Bruins forward Brad Marchand fell after contact with Rantanen, leading to a visible display of frustration from Rantanen, who was called for interference. Shortly after the hit, Marchand exited the game temporarily but returned shortly thereafter.
The Avalanche’s power play showed significant improvement, successfully converting all three of their opportunities throughout the game.
An interesting moment ensued when Colorado forward Matt Stienburg made his NHL debut, engaging in a brief altercation with former Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov during the second period. The excitement of the moment was captured as Stienburg’s father filmed the incident from the stands. Stienburg mentioned during a morning skate that his childhood idol was none other than Marchand, as they both hail from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Several players showcased their skills by registering multiple assists, with Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar each contributing two assists to their respective tallies.
Looking ahead, the Colorado Avalanche will wrap up their four-game homestand against Anaheim on Friday, while the Boston Bruins are set to face off against Utah on Saturday.
