In addition to Pastrnak’s stellar play, teammates Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle, and Pavel Zacha added to the scoreboard, while Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves to secure the win.
J.T. Miller made an impactful return to the Rangers by scoring twice in his first game back after being acquired from Vancouver just the day before. The trade involved multiple players, including Filip Chytil heading to the Canucks. Jonny Brodzinski also contributed to New York’s tally, but Igor Shesterkin faced 25 shots, making 19 saves as the Rangers fell to their third consecutive loss in regulation following a robust 7-0-3 run.
The game saw its first equalizer from Miller, who lit the lamp with a powerful one-timer from the slot at the 10:55 mark of the first period. However, it was Pastrnak who gave the Bruins the lead for good with a clever shot that slipped past Shesterkin with under three minutes remaining in the first.
In the second period, Coyle extended Boston’s advantage, tipping a shot from Andrew Peeke over Shesterkin’s glove into the net, setting the score at 3-1 by 3:39.
Pastrnak continued to shine in the third period, securing his second goal early on and completing his hat trick with an empty-net goal, marking his impressive 27th of the season.
Key Takeaways:
For the Rangers, the urgency is clear as they sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division and 13th in the conference; they need to find their rhythm and string together more victories.
On the other hand, Swayman’s performance was a noticeable improvement compared to his previous outing, where he allowed seven goals to Buffalo.
Key Moment:
After Miller scored his second goal, which narrowed the gap to 4-2, Pastrnak responded swiftly with a powerful slap shot just 46 seconds later, maintaining Boston’s lead.
Key Stat:
Despite their previous road struggles, the Bruins have excelled at home, boasting an impressive 11-2-1 record in their last 14 games at TD Garden.
Upcoming Matches:
The Rangers will host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, while the Bruins are set to take on the Minnesota Wild at home on Tuesday.
