BOSTON — In an exciting matchup on Tuesday night, David Pastrnak contributed one goal and two assists, while Parker Wotherspoon netted his first NHL goal, leading the Boston Bruins to a decisive 6-2 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bruins’ goalie Jeremy Swayman put on a stellar performance, making 43 saves and helping the team bounce back from a rough stretch that saw them lose six consecutive games – their longest losing streak in a decade.

Boston quickly established dominance, taking a commanding 4-0 lead within the first 26 minutes of the game, thanks to goals from Trent Frederic and Brad Marchand. Late in the game, Andrew Peeke and Pavel Zacha sealed the victory with short-handed empty-net goals after the Lightning pulled their goalie in a last-ditch effort during a power play.

Although the Lightning fought back with second-period goals from Conor Geekie and Victor Hedman, narrowing the gap, it was not enough to tilt the game’s outcome. Tampa Bay’s goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy managed to stop 18 shots but faced a barrage of offense from Boston, which has now won back-to-back matches.

The matchup also included a fair share of physicality, with five altercations during the game. This included two instances where both teams received matching fighting majors, as well as multiple roughing minors. In total, only three other penalties were called during the hard-fought contest.

As a result of this victory, the Bruins climbed to tie in points with the Lightning, closing the gap for third place in the Atlantic Division.

Perhaps the pivotal moment of the night came when Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh delivered a shoulder check to Bruins forward Cole Koepke, striking him in the head. Following a review, officials determined the hit warranted no penalty, leaving emotions high on both sides.

In terms of shots on goal, the Bruins faced 45 shots from the Lightning, marking a season-high against them for the second consecutive game. In their previous contest, they were outshot 43-18 in a win over the Florida Panthers.

Looking ahead, the Bruins will head to Ottawa on Saturday, while the Lightning will host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.