Robby Fabbri, Dylan Larkin and David Perron also scored for the Red Wings, who are the only team to beat Boston (14-2-3) in regulation. Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists and Ville Husso stopped 25 shots.

“A big win for us,” Husso said.

In their third meeting in a month — the Bruins won the first game on Oct. 28 — Detroit took advantage of six Boston penalties to improve to 10-0-2 when scoring four or more goals.

“A really good start. I feel like our guys were focused and locked in,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “A pretty complete road game against a very good team.”

Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen scored for the Bruins, who had been 5-0-2 since losing at Detroit on Nov. 4. Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves on his 25th birthday.

“It’s one thing if you play well and things happen and you don’t get the result,” Bruins center Charlie Coyle said. “But that wasn’t the case I don’t think.”

Despite a 16-save shutout Wednesday against New Jersey, Alex Lyon was the Red Wings’ backup. Husso had allowed at least four goals in his past three starts, but had been on paternity leave and hadn’t played since Nov. 11.

“He should have a kid every six weeks,” Lalonde said, smiling.

The Bruins finally solved Husso when DeBrusk knocked home his own rebound on the power play to get Boston within 2-1 early in the second period.

It was DeBrusk’s second goal in as many games after managing one in his first 16 games.

But Husso kept the surging Bruins at bay until Fabbri scored on a wrist shot from the faceoff circle at 13:24 of the second.

Heinen’s wrist shot 4:12 into the third got the Bruins within a goal. But Brandon Carlo was called for hooking less than a minute later and Larkin scored five seconds into the power play to give Detroit another two-goal cushion.

Perron added an empty-netter with 1:45 left.

“Once we did start chipping away, it seemed like we had a penalty and they would capitalize,” DeBrusk said. “They controlled our momentum swings and that’s why they got the win.”

Boston coach Jim Montgomery gave veteran James van Riemsdyk the day off in the team’s traditional Black Friday home matinee, with Morgan Geekie returning to the lineup.

An early Geekie miscue and an odd bounce put the Bruins in a hole. With Geekie serving a holding penalty, Compher redirected Gostisbehere’s shot at 5:13. The puck bounced off Swayman’s chest and trickled between his legs.

The Red Wings made it 2-0 late in the first period when DeBrincat pickpocketed rookie Matt Poitras in the neutral zone, skated in alone and wristed a shot past Swayman for his team-high 12th goal.

Boston couldn’t overcome the sleepy start and lost in regulation at home for just the fifth time in 50 regular-season home games over the past two seasons.

After using 11 forwards and seven defensemen for several games this season, including their first victory over Boston, the Red Wings had a traditional 12-6 lineup with Jake Walman (illness) scratched.

It worked as Detroit won its second straight after returning from a 0-1-1 trip to Sweden.

“We know we’re a good team,” Husso said. “If we can bring it every night, every day, our best game, we can beat any team in this league.”

UP NEXT

Red Wings: Host Minnesota on Sunday.

Bruins: At the New York Rangers on Saturday, with Matt Grzelcyk (upper-body injury) expected to return.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

John Beecher and Jake DeBrusk scored in a 3:05 span of the second period to put Boston in control, and Charlie Coyle also scored for the Bruins.

Anton Lundell scored for Florida, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 22 shots. The Panthers saw their six-game winning streak on home ice snapped and lost for just the second time in their last nine games overall.

“We were really good on the rush defense,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of his team’s shutdown third-period performance. “We had a lot of numbers back, we were putting bodies on bodies and we had a little bit of time to make good breakout plays.”

Boston improved to 14-1-3 on the season and 4-0-0 after losses. The Bruins have 31 of a possible 36 points so far — by far the best in the league, yet slightly behind their pace from last season when they had 32 points through 18 games.

“We’ve only lost one game in regulation, so any time you’ve played this amount of games and have that, you’re doing something right,” DeBrusk said. “There are a lot of guys that are contributing in different ways and you need that to win. Our goaltending has been solid as well, and it bailed us out in a lot of games.”

The 31 points after 18 games ties the fifth-most in NHL history. The only teams with more: the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks had 33 points, while the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers, the 1929-30 Bruins and last season’s Bruins each had 32 points.

Boston finished with an NHL-record 135 points last season, yet still lost to Florida in seven games in the opening round of the playoffs. The Panthers went on to play in the Stanley Cup Final, but are 0-1-1 against the Bruins so far this season.

“This is going to be a real good rivalry for five or six years,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said before the game. “Boston’s been a great team for a long time. We’re trying to get to that level.”

The Panthers suffered their first multi-goal loss since Nov. 4 and fell to 12-6-1, but remain in second place in the Atlantic Division.

Ullmark improved to 7-1-1 on the season.

”He is a good, big goalie,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said of Ullmark. “He likes to play the puck, so every time you rim it, he stops it and makes a play. Obviously, we found a way to get to him in the past and we’ll do it again someday.”

The Panthers were again without captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed his second consecutive game with a knee injury. Barkov has been skating and Maurice said there is a chance — if the doctors approve — that the forward could play Friday against Winnipeg.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Host Detroit on Friday afternoon.

Panthers: Host Winnipeg on Friday night.

Tanner Jeannot, Nicholas Paul and Austin Watson scored for the Lightning. Jonas Johansson turned aside 22 shots.

Stamkos’ goal came after Victor Hedman kept a clearing attempt in the Boston zone. Hedman also set up Hagel’s goal.

Pavel Zacha, David Pastrnak, John Beecher and Charlie Coyle scored for Boston. Jeremy Swayman stopped 41 shots as the Bruins dropped to 13-1-3 on the season.

Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov skated gingerly off the ice midway through the second but returned for the third.

Pastrnak and Beecher scored 1:21 apart midway through the third before Watson pulled Tampa Bay even at 3-3 just 57 seconds after Beecher’s goal. Coyle then put Boston up 4-3 with 3:51 remaining,

It’s just the fourth time Boston has allowed more than two goals in a game.

After failing to score during a minute-long 5-on-3 power-play earlier in the second. Paul put the Lightning up 2-1 on a deflection of Mikhail Sergachev’s man-advantage shot with 30 seconds left in the period.

Tampa Bay’s top-ranked home power play went 1 for 6 against the Bruins’ league-best penalty kill. Boston failed to score on its two power plays.

Pastrnak extended his point streak to seven games with a nifty pass from the low slot to set up Zacha’s goal that tied it at 1 midway through an up-tempo first period that Tampa Bay held a 19-12 shot advantage.

Brad Marchand also assisted on Zacha’s goal amd moved past Lightning broadcaster Phil Esposito into fourth place in franchise history with 431 road points. The left wing has a point in six consecutive games.

UP NEXT

Bruins: At Florida on Wednesday night.

Lightning: Host Winnipeg on Wednesday night.

Facing the Canadiens for the second time in eight days, Boston got some payback for a 3-2 overtime loss in Montreal last Saturday.

Pavel Zacha, Charlie McAvoy and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Bruins (13-1-2), who have lost just once in regulation this season.

Boston posted NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) last season.

On a night when members of the 1970 and ’72 Stanley Cup-winning teams — led by Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Johnny Bucyk — got to finally raise a banner to the rafters, the Bruins jumped out fast in the 759th regular-season meeting between the Original Six clubs.

Montreal lost its fourth straight. Juraj Slafkovsky and Johnathan Kovacevic scored for the Canadiens.

The Bruins are 11-0-1 in their last 12 games against Montreal.

With Boston skating on a two-man, power-play advantage, McAvoy one-timed Marchand’s pass into the top left corner of the net from the right circle 7:11 into the opening period.

Marchand picked up his milestone assist on the goal.

Frederic’s first goal came with 40 seconds left in the opening period when he redirected Brandon Carlo’s shot past goalie Jake Allen.

Zacha’s wrister from the slot deflected off the stick of a Canadiens’ player in front and trickled past Allen’s right skate, making it 3-0 at 5:18 of the second period.

Frederic’s second goal came on a wrister with 4:30 left in the second, giving Boston a 4-1 edge.

After they went up 5-1 in the third, the TD Garden fans started chanting and mocking the Canadiens with “Ole! Ole!” — a chant used when they play well in Montreal.

Bruins star David Pastrnak missed a good amount of the opening period but returned to the bench late in the period.

The Bruins said Milan Lucic is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team after he was involved in an undisclosed incident Friday night.

In a statement released Saturday morning, the team didn’t provide any details about the incident other than to say the organization is aware of the situation and “takes these matters very seriously.” The team also said it would work with Lucic’s family to provide any support and assistance needed.

Boston Police said it could neither confirm nor deny arresting Lucic early Saturday morning.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: At the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, the second of a five-game trip.

Bruins: At the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, their first of five straight away from TD Garden.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

As part of the club’s 100th season celebration, the club honored what was called the “Big Bad Bruins Era” from 1960-76.

During that period, they captured Cups in ’70 and ’72 but they never had a ceremony to raise the banner.

Before the team faced longtime rival Montreal Canadiens, some of the members of those teams — led by Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Johnny Bucyk — walked onto the ice wearing a jersey and hoisted banners.

“I’ve seen it done in other cities and how they’ve gone about it, it meant a lot to our guys,” said former forward Wayne Cashman, 78, a member of both Cup winning teams. “You really feel the championship.”

Dallas Smith, 82, a defenseman on both teams, also felt special pride raising the flags that honored the achievement.

“It meant a lot,” he said, smiling. “It’s nice to be recognized. We’re lucky to have won the Cup twice. We wish we could have won it more, but that’s how sports is.”

President Cam Neely felt like the moment meant a lot to the players and the fans.

“It’s extremely special. Obviously, a team as old as the Bruins and the players that have come through here and worn the jersey, to have so many ’70, ’72 guys here is pretty special,” he said.

Neely didn’t know they hadn’t a banner ceremony until someone in marketing brought it up.

“I didn’t even realize it until a couple of months ago,” he said. “They’d show up the next year and the banner was already hanging.’’

In a statement Saturday, the Bruins said, “The Boston Bruins are aware of the situation involving Milan Lucic Friday evening. Milan is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The organization takes these matters very seriously, and we will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need. We will have no further comment at this time.”

No additional information was immediately available.

This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Danton Heinen, Brandon Carlo, Oskar Steen, and Hampus Lindholm all scored their first goals of the season and Linus Ullmark made 32 saves for the Bruins, who are 3-0-1 in their last four games.

Pastrnak’s 11th goal of the season was the second of five straight goals scored by Boston.

“(Pastrnak) allows you to have a lot of success as a team because he’s a difference maker, right,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “He makes people around him better. As good a goal scorer he is, he’s as equal a passer, and the way he competes as a leader on our team and our most skilled player, it shows everybody that you have to work to have success.”

Victor Olofsson scored two goals for Buffalo. Devon Levi made 13 saves on 18 shots before he was replaced by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the second period. Luukkonen made 14 saves for Buffalo who are 1-2-1 in their last four.

Heinen gave Boston a 1-0 lead when he put a rebound of Charlie McAvoy’s shot past Levi at 3:01 of the first period. Pastrnak made it 2-0 with a one-timer 1:08 later. Carlo made it 3-0 at 15:14 of the first when he scored on a 3-on-1 from a pass by Pastrnak.

“I think the first period kind of set the game up,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously, it wasn’t a great game for us overall, there was mistakes but most importantly, we got the goals and we got the saves and we got the dub.”

Steen gave Boston a 4-0 lead at 4:07 of the second period and Lindholm made it 5-0 with a power-play goal at 12:23.

Olofsson cut the Bruins lead to 5-1 with his first goal of the season at 15:07 of the second period when he put the rebound of Owen Power’s shot off the end boards past Ullmark. His second at 15:02 of the third made it 5-2.

“I feel like I just kind of attacked a little bit more,” Olofsson said. “I kind of searched those pucks around the net. I’m kind of not just looking for open ice. I tried to just go to the net and had a lucky bounce there, the first one. And then the second one, JJ (Peterka) found me with a great pass.”

Sabres center Tage Thompson sustained an upper-body injury after he blocked a shot by McAvoy in the second period off his arm and did not return. Thompson was cut by a skate blade in a separate collision with McAvoy in the first period and left the game momentarily but returned for the second period.

OKPOSO HITS MILESTONE

Sabres captain Kyle Okposo played in his 1,000th NHL game on Tuesday. At 35 years old, Okposo is the 381st skater and 384th player in NHL history to play a thousand games in the league. Okposo made his NHL debut March 18, 2008.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Host Montreal on Saturday.

Sabres: Begin a three-game road trip at Winnipeg on Friday.

“Like every team you have some off games, but our good is really good. When we’re on top of it, we can beat any team in the league,” Guhle said.

Nick Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher also found the back of the net for Montreal (7-5-2), which beat Boston (11-1-2) for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

“It’s a group decision and a group effort to get back in a game and get something out of it,” said Canadiens coach Martin St Louis. “You have to understand the way you need to carry yourself on the ice every game to give yourself the best chance of winning. It doesn’t guarantee a win, but you understand what is needed to be done with and without the puck.”

Pavel Zacha deflected a point shot from Charlie McAvoy past Montreal goalie Samuel Montembeault and into the top corner just 36 seconds into the game to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Montembeault had 26 saves.

Montreal’s best chance to equalize in the first period came when Sean Monahan and Gallagher found themselves on a two-on-one, with the latter hitting the post from a tight angle.

The Canadiens scored two goals just 27 seconds apart in the first minute of the third period for a 2-1 lead.

Suzuki’s shot from the right side drew them level 24 seconds in. Gallagher jumped on a rebound in the crease and scored Montreal’s second goal 51 seconds into the period.

“It was a great 60 minutes. We couldn’t score in the first two periods, but we just kept fighting,” said Suzuki. “They’re a really hot team with a lot of great players. It’s definitely satisfying that all the work you’re putting in gets rewarded … I think we deserved that win.”

“I think the first two minutes were a microcosm of the two periods,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “We were lucky to be in the position we were in. We had players in moments playing OK, but for the majority it looked like it was a team thing, not an individual thing. So we have to look at what we’re doing to internally to get rest and have energy for games.”

Boston thought it had the equalizer when Oskar Steen deflected a shot from the point. However, after Montreal challenged the play the goal was waved off because of goaltender interference.

After failing to score on a 5-on-3 power play, Brad Marchand got on loose puck at the back post to tie it at 2 with a power-play goal. Jeremy Swayman finished with 24 saves for the Bruins.

UP NEXT

Bruins: At Buffalo on Tuesday night to finish a two-game trip.

Canadiens: Host Vancouver on Sunday night in the second of a four-game homestand.

Coyle, who already had two goals on the night and has never had three in an NHL game, slid it over to Pastrnak. Pastrnak passed up the open shot and slid it right back to Coyle.

“He was screaming, ‘Shoot!’” Coyle recalled after registering his first career hat trick in Boston’s 5-2 win over the Islanders on Thursday night. “He was tired. I backhanded that over and he was kind of like, ‘What are you doing that (for)?’ But I’m glad it worked out.”

Coyle added an assist for his first four-point game since 2016, and Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the Bruins. Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and Trent Frederic also scored for Boston to help the defending Presidents Trophy champions earn their 11th victory in their first 13 games.

They ended the night tied with Stanley Cup champion Vegas for the most points in the NHL, with 23.

A 13-year NHL veteran playing in his 798th career game, Coyle scored a power play goal in the second period on crisp passing from Pastrnak to Pavel Zacha to Coyle, in the slot. He added a second score to make it 4-2 midway through the third period, crashing the net to receive the pass from James van Riemsdyk.

The hat trick came with 1:21 left and Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin off for an extra skater.

“In a sense it kind of feels like getting your first goal out of the way,” Coyle said. “Those are milestones you kind of think about, but you never really focus on that stuff, honestly. Sometimes it just pans out like that.”

Simon Holmstrom scored a short-handed goal for New York 10 seconds after the faceoff to open the power play, tying it at 2 early in the third period. But Pastrnak gave the Bruins the lead with a wrist shot that squirted through Sorokin’s pads.

The Boston scoring leaderr had no interest in a second goal Thursday.

“That’s why I love working with this team,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “To see Pasta waving at him, like ‘Go to the net! I’m going to give it back to you for the hat trick.’ They’re incredibly unselfish and thoughtful people and it shows in the way they love playing for each other.”

Brock Nelson also scored and Sorokin stopped 30 shots for the Islanders. They have lost three in a row.

The Bruins were without top defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who was serving the final game of a four-game suspension for head hit on Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Washington on Saturday night.

Bruins: At Montreal on Saturday night.

Alex Ovechkin off to an uncharacteristically slow start, the Oilers’ terrible goaltending and the San Jose Sharks losing their first 11 games are among some of the disturbing early trends. Elsewhere, the Golden Knights are rolling, Connor Bedard is scoring for Chicago and the Boston Bruins are back following a disappointing first-round exit.

The traditional Thanksgiving barometer for being in a playoff position is still two weeks away, but there are good signs for Detroit, Vancouver and Anaheim. Not so much for Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Calgary.

Even with some jagged starts, no one except San Jose is more than six points out of a playoff spot.

“It’s a situation throughout the league,” Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said. “There’s a few teams that are firing on all cylinders, but I think there’s quite a few teams that are, like us, trying to find their game and be consistent at it.”OVI’S 2 IN 10

Ovechkin has scored just twice — once on a power play and once into an empty net — matching his lowest total through 10 games in his nearly two-decade career with the Capitals. Just like the previous two times (in 2008-09 and 2013), it came after training camp with a new coach.

“I’m having chances, but sometimes you just have to look at yourself and think what you should do differently,” Ovechkin said Tuesday. “If you have that kind of slump when you can’t score, you just have to work and find a way to create chances for yourself, for your teammates and find a way to put the puck in.”

Exactly 300 of Ovechkin’s 824 goals — he trails Gretzky by 70 — have come on the power play, and the Capitals are second-worst in the NHL in that department at 9.7%. New Jersey leads at 42.9%.

“We’re trying to fix that,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “Our passing on the power play, passes to him, but also he can help that as well of getting his feet set, being able to adjust off certain passes, seeing a play that’s about to come. So we’re just a little bit off.”TOOTHLESS SHARKS

After trading three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson as part of a teardown that precedes a rebuild, the Sharks were expected to be bad. But this bad?

They entered Tuesday nights’ game 0-10-1 after losing their past two games 10-1 and 10-2, and have been outscored 55-12. Toronto’s Auston Matthews has more goals himself with 13.

San Jose could be worse than the current NHL standard for futility: the 1974-75 Capitals, who went 8-67-5. But there is a long season ahead.

“We’re losing way too many battles,” winger Anthony Duclair said. “It’s way too easy for the opposing team. … Our battle level is just non-existent sometimes, and it’s costing us.”BRUINS ROLLING

Losing their top two centers, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, to retirement hasn’t slowed down the Bruins in their second season under coach of the year Jim Montgomery. With rookies contributing and goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark sharing the net, Boston is an Eastern Conference-best 10-1-1.

“We rely on them a little bit too much,” captain Brad Marchand said of the goalies, who have a league-best .939 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average. “We can always be a little bit better in front of them, but it’s nice when we break down they’re there for us.”LEAKING OIL

The Oilers are at the other side of the goaltending spectrum with a league-worst .864 save percentage between Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell, the latter of whom was put on waivers Tuesday. After giving up six goals Monday in a loss to Vancouver, Skinner said: “I can do a lot better to help my team out.”

Edmonton’s defense can also do better to help everyone else out. Only the Sharks have fewer points than the Oilers, whose stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could miss the playoffs in the prime of their careers if the trend continues.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a worse start to a season in my career, and it’s a test, for sure,” defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “But I know we have the team to turn it around.”KNIGHTS TIME

The only team better than Boston so far is Vegas, which hasn’t missed a beat coming off the franchise’s first championship. It took until game 13 for the Golden Knights to lose in regulation, and their 11-1-1 record for 23 points shows not every Cup winner struggles out of the gate. Vegas is notably 7-0-1 at the “Fortress” just off The Strip.BEDARD BUMP

Taken first in the draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and hyped up arguably more than McDavid or Sidney Crosby, Bedard has delivered early in his NHL career. Bedard’s five goals are tied for the most among rookies, and only three have more points than the 18-year-old forward.

Brad Marchand added a power-play goal in the third period, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 34 shots for the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins (10-1-1), who rebounded from their first regulation loss two nights earlier at Detroit. It was the sixth goal this season for Marchand, the first-year Boston captain.

The Stars had their net empty with an extra skater when Joe Pavelski scored his fifth goal with 27 seconds left. They then had a power play for the final 5.7 seconds after a tripping penalty by Hampus Lindholm. Miro Heiskanen got off a shot that appeared to get by Swayman, but then bounced off the post as time expired.

Wyatt Johnston, the 20-year-old Stars center who was one of the NHL’s top rookies last season, scored his fourth goal with his deflection in front of the net after Esa Lindell’s shot from just inside the blue line about five minutes into the third period.

Beecher, the 22-year-old center who was Boston’s first-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft and has played in every game, got a hard ricochet off the board behind the net, then skated around and into the right circle for a wrister past Jake Oettinger with 9:39 left in the first period.

Lohrei made it 2-0 from the top the slot on a pass from Danton Heinen with 5:51 left in the first. The 22-year-old defenseman, a second-round pick in 2020, had an assist in his NHL debut Thursday and was playing only his third game.

It was the first time two Boston rookies scored their first NHL goals in one game since Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy against Nashville in a season opener Oct. 5, 2017.

McAvoy was still out of the Bruins lineup Monday, serving the third of his four-game suspension from the NHL for an illegal check to the head of Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Oct. 30.

Oettinger had 26 saves for the Stars, who played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen because forwards Radek Faksa and Matt Duchene were both out with upper body injuries.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Host the New York Islanders, one of only three home games for Boston in their next nine until the end of November

Stars: After three games in Canada last week, the Stars are back on the road for the next three. They play at Columbus on Thursday.

Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist, and Andrew Copp and Jake Walman also scored for Detroit, which had lost four of five (1-3-1). Ville Husso had 26 saves.

James van Riemsdyk, Matthew Poitras, Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak had the goals for the Bruins, who were 9-0-1. Linus Ullmark stopped 35 shots.

Trailing 3-2, Larkin tied it at 6:50 of the third when he beat Ullmark on the short side off a feed from Raymond for his fifth of the season.

Perron gave the Red Wings their first lead 2:06 later when he whiffed on a shot, regained control of the puck and fired it past Ullmark’s glove. It was his third.

Copp made it 5-3 with his fourth when he banged in a rebound after J.T. Compher hit the post.

Pastrnak scored on a power play with 5:49 remaining to pull the Bruins within one, but they couldn’t get the equalizer.

Detroit had a two-man advantage in the final 1:28.

The Bruins scored twice in the first 10 minutes. Van Riemsdyk jammed the puck into the net after Pastrnak’s shot trickled past Husso at 5:21. Poitras scored on a backhander at 9:28 after a nifty move around Husso.

Raymond scored Detroit’s first power-play goal in five games from the right circle off a feed from Perron with 3:40 remining in the opening period to make it 2-1.

Walman lifted a shot over Ullmark’s left shoulder to tie the score just as a boarding penalty against Boston’s Mason Lohrei was about to expire at the midpoint of the second period.

The Bruins regained a 3-2 lead with 6:17 left in the period when Coyle scored in front off a pass from Jake DeBrusk.

UP NEXT

Bruins: At Dallas on Monday night.

Red Wings: At New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

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DeBrusk and Paval Zacha scored in regulation for the Bruins, who lead the Eastern Conference with a 9-0-1 record. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves.

Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov stopped 38 shots.

Toronto forward William Nylander extended his season-opening, franchise-record point streak to 10 games. He was credited with an assist on the Maple Leafs goal that tied the game in the second period after Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

The Bruins, who have not lost in regulation this season, opened the scoring at 18:51 of the first when Charlie Carlo centered a pass from the right circle and Zacha finished in the slot for his third goal in as many games. Boston defenseman Mason Lohrei, a 22-year-old making his NHL debut, was also credited with an assist.

Boston doubled its lead in the opening minutes of the second period when Marchand had the first chance and DeBrusk scored his first goal of the season.

The momentum then shifted and Toronto evened the score at 2 heading into the third. Marner made a nice move to free himself before getting off a wrister that got Toronto on the board at 6:31 of the second. The equalizer came 63 seconds later as a turnover in the Boston zone led to Matthews sending a shot past Swayman.

The Bruins went to overtime for the third time in four games and made quick work of the Maple Leafs in the shootout, as Swayman stopped both shots he faced.

Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren was ruled out for a return with a lower body injury that he sustained on a hit from Marchand late in the first period.

Boston played its first game without No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who was suspended four games by the NHL for an illegal check to the head of Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson during Monday’s game.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.

Bruins: At Detroit on Saturday night.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced the ban Tuesday, saying after a disciplinary hearing that McAvoy made Ekman-Larsson’s head the principle point of content on a hit in which head contact was avoidable.

McAvoy hit Ekman-Larsson in the head with his left shoulder midway through the third period of the teams’ game Monday night. McAvoy was ejected with a match penalty, and Ekman-Larsson did not return after leaving the ice.

The Panthers also took issue with a hit that McAvoy delivered on Carter Verhaeghe in the first period. Asked after the game what his view of the hit to Ekman-Larsson was, Florida coach Paul Maurice said, “I thought it was exactly like the hit on Verhaeghe in the first.”

McAvoy scored the tying goal about two minutes before the hit on Ekman-Larsson.

It’s McAvoy’s second NHL suspension for a head shot and the first since getting one game for an illegal check on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson in the second round of the 2019 playoffs. He has also been fined once before in his six-plus year professional career.

McAvoy will forfeit $197,917 in salary and, barring appeal, won’t be eligible to play again until Boston’s game Nov. 11 at the Montreal Canadiens.

Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy also scored for Boston, which remained unbeaten in regulation through nine games this season (8-0-1). Linus Ullmark stopped 36 shots against the team that knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs last season after a record-setting and Presidents Trophy-winning regular season.

Aleksander Barkov scored one goal and assisted on another, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots for Florida, which eliminated Boston in seven games in the first round and went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Barkov gave the Panthers the lead six minutes into the game. He helped make it 2-0 with five minutes left in the period when he took advantage of Matthew Poitras’ turnover behind the net and fed it to Sam Reinhart in front.

Marchand cut the deficit in half off a backhand feed from Jake DeBrusk four minutes into the second period. McAvoy tied it seven minutes into the third period after starting the breakout in the Bruins’ zone.

But McAvoy was sent off midway through the final period with a game misconduct after elbowing Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the head. The Bruins killed off the five minute power play and reached overtime, when Zacha won it with a wrist shot from the right side.

Panthers forward Sam Bennett, who was making his season debut after missing the first seven games with an unspecified lower body injury, needed to be helped off the ice in the second period. Bennett was in obvious pain and unable to put any weight on his left leg after Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm fell on it in front of the net.

Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was ruled out for a return after leaving the first period with what the team said was an upper body injury.

The Bruins signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year deal on Monday with a cap hit of $775,000. Heinen had eight goals and 14 assists in 65 games with the Penguins last year. He was originally selected by the Bruins in the fourth round of the 2014 draft and played in Boston from 2016-20 before he was traded to Anaheim.

UP NEXT

Panthers: At Detroit on Thursday night.

Bruins: Host Toronto on Thursday night.

The 35-year-old Lucic played in four games, getting two assists. He missed the last two games with what was called a lower-body injury after getting hit with a shot off an ankle in a game against Los Angeles on Oct. 21.

A 2011 Stanley Cup winner with the Bruins, Lucic returned during the offseason, signing a $1 million deal with $500,000 more possible in performance-based incentives.

To fill his roster spot, the club recalled forward Oskar Steen from their AHL affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island.

McTavish converted on a pass from forward Leo Carlsoon and scored five-hole on Boston goalie Linus Ullmark.

“It was nice to get rewarded there at the end,” McTavish said.

David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, while Charlie McAvoy added three assists, but Boston surrendered a 3-1 lead in the third period and lost for the first time this season. Charlie Coyle and Matt Grzelcyk also scored for the Bruins, now 6-1 on the franchise’s centennial season.

Anaheim forced overtime on Troy Terry’s goal with 14.7 seconds left in regulation.

Ullmark made 28 saves while John Gibson stopped 30 shots for the Ducks, who lost to the Bruins earlier this week on their home ice.

“Sometimes you have luck and sometimes you don’t. That’s how it is. Hopefully we get a bounce the next game,” Ullmark said. “You can be (upset) right now and let it go for tomorrow.”

Anaheim (3-4) jumped in front with five minutes left in the opening period with the help of a fortunate bounce. Defenseman Rako Gudas fired a rocket from just inside the blue line that deflected off the skate of Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm and past Ullmark. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery wanted the officials to review for possible goalie interference but the call on the ice stood.

The Ducks outshot the Bruins in the opening period (9-6) but only enjoyed a 1-0 lead after going 0 for 2 on the power play. Anaheim outshot Boston 32-30.

“We thought we played them tough in Anaheim and wanted to come out and play that same game and same style. Obviously it’s a great win,” Ducks forward Trevor Zegras said.

After Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe was called for cross-checking, Coyle tied it early in the second period as he camped in front of Gibson and converted a feed from Pastrnak. The Bruins tallied the next goal as Grzelcyk fired from the right circle for the first goal of the season by a Boston defenseman.

“These are games you want to finish the right way, but we’ve got to learn from it. That’s all you can do,” Coyle said.

The third of three unanswered goals scored by Boston in the second period was delivered by Pastrnak, who pounced on the loose puck after tracking down his own rebound at 16:40. The forward now has six goals in seven games.

Anaheim’s fifth and final power-play opportunity of regulation came with 3:59 remaining after Boston forward Patrick Brown — recalled from AHL Providence before Thursday’s game — was sent to the box for hooking. Still down two goals, the Ducks pulled Gibson for a 6-on-4 advantage and struck with 1:55 left as Carlsson crashed the net after Ullmark made several stops.

“I thought we finessed it a couple of times and they kept it in the blue line,” Montgomery said. “Even when we went up 3-1, we had numerous opportunities to extend the lead, but we didn’t close out the game.”

A four-year college hockey player at the University of Maine, Montgomery took time before the game to offer his condolences to the victims of the mass shootings in Lewiston on Wednesday night.

“I know how great the culture is in that state, and I know how great the people are. My heartfelt sympathies to everybody that’s impacted,” Montgomery said. “The Boston Bruins offer our sympathy and condolences to the victims and families that suffered.”

Added Ullmark, “Losing a hockey game while people up there lost lives and loved ones, it puts everything in perspective. It’s pretty easy to let this one go.”

UP NEXT

Ducks: Continue three-game road trip at Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon.

Bruins: Host Detroit on Saturday night. It will be Boston’s first game of the season against an Eastern Conference team.

All three are undefeated to start the NHL season, making some history in the process. It’s the first time the league has had three teams open a season with at least six wins in a row.

Vegas, which already has the best start for a reigning champ with seven consecutive victories, is the closest to tying the record for the longest winning streak to start a season: 10, by the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs and 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres.

The Golden Knights scored twice in the final eight minutes of regulation Tuesday, rallying from down 2-1 to beat Philadelphia.

“We’ve got talent, for one,” coach Bruce Cassidy said, when asked about the undefeated start. “We have different guys that can help you win. That’s probably the simplest answer. We’ve got a lot of good players that can hurt you offensively.”

So do the Bruins, even after the retirements of top centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. After beating Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks in Chicago to improve to 6-0-0, coach Jim Montgomery said he was starting to see the team’s identity build.

“You’re starting to see us become a heavy, grinding team, which I think is what we’re going to have to be,” Montgomery said after the Bruins won their first six games for the second time in franchise history and first since 1937-38.

For the Avalanche, not so fast. Sure, they’ve won their first six after beating the New York Islanders 7-4 Tuesday, but they’re not happy about how they’re playing even though they set an NHL record with their 15th straight road win.

“We are fortunate to be 6-0,” coach Jared Bednar said. “The guys realize that. We are still trying to improve.”

One area that doesn’t need improving is in net, where Alexandar Georgiev has a league-best six wins with a 1.98 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. Colorado went into the season as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, and Georgiev’s play is a good early indicator of those chances.

Pavel Zacha also scored for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves in his 10th career shutout.

The Bruins moved to 6-0 by closing out a perfect four-game trip in the franchise’s centennial season. Boston also won its first six games of the 1937-38 season.

Petr Mrazek made 40 stops for Chicago in its third consecutive loss. The Blackhawks also lost to the Bruins on Oct. 11, falling 3-1 in Boston.

The Bruins were in control for most of the night, but it was only good enough for a 1-0 lead before Poitras and Frederic helped put it away.

The 19-year-old Poitras skated past veteran Blackhawks forward Corey Perry and beat Mrazek on the glove side at 4:06. The rookie forward scored his first two NHL goals in a 3-1 win at Anaheim on Sunday.

Frederic made it 3-0 when he knocked home a slick pass from James van Riemsdyk. It was Frederic’s second goal of the season.

Chicago appeared to jump in front on Connor Bedard’s power-play goal with 6:45 left in the first period. Boston defenseman Charlie Coyle passed the puck right to Bedard, who beat Swayman with a rocket from the slot.

But it was waved off after an offside challenge by Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. The United Center crowd of 19,370 booed when the ruling was announced.

Boston grabbed the lead on Zacha’s first goal of the season 3:50 into the second. Zacha tipped home a shot by Kevin Shattenkirk from just inside the blue line.

Boston dominated the period, outshooting Chicago 18-7. But Mrazek kept the Blackhawks in the game despite heavy pressure by the Bruins.

WORTH NOTING

The Blackhawks placed forward Taylor Hall (left shoulder) on injured reserve. The move was made retroactive to Saturday. Hall has no goals and two assists in five games after he was acquired in a June trade with Boston. … Bruins forward Milan Lucic missed his second straight game. He had a shot go off his right foot during Saturday’s 4-2 win at Los Angeles. … Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev played after he missed the start of the season with a left wrist injury.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Face the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game homestand.

Blackhawks: At the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

The 19-year-old Poitras, playing in his fifth career game, scored at 6:29 of the final period to erase the Ducks’ lead and then got the go-ahead goal nearly 4 minutes later when he stuffed home the rebound of Jake DeBrusk’s shot.

Brad Marchand added an empty-net goal and Linus Ullmark made 32 saves as the Bruins remained one of three undefeated teams along with Vegas and Colorado. Marchand extended his points streak to five games while David Pastrnak saw his four-game goal-scoring streak come to an end.

“It was a good win and we just kind of stayed together and stuck with it,” Poitras said. “It was maybe not our best, but we were able to get the job done.”

Mason McTavish scored the lone goal for the Ducks, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games this season. John Gibson made 25 saves.

Anaheim lost despite a 31-26 advantage in shots on goal, but Ducks coach Greg Cronin hardly was satisfied. Cronin said his team should have put at least 40 shots on goal, if not more, in a refrain of what he has been preaching in the early part of the season.

“At this point, it’s going to be like a value system,” said Cronin, who insisted that simple math says more shots on goal will yield more goals. “We’re going to just shoot pucks. I don’t care if it’s from the (opposite) goal line. Just put them at the goalie’s pads.”

The Ducks were the first to break through in the scoreless game as McTavish scored on a rush with Ryan Strome at 5:05 of the third period. Strome’s shot on Ullmark rebounded into the slot and McTavish got enough on his shot to slide in the goal off the left post for his second of the season.

Poitras needed just 1:24 to even the score when he took a centering pass from Morgan Geekie from the left side of goal and scored out front past Gibson, who was late to get back into position from the left post. It was a goal Poitras said he had been dreaming about, “my whole life, really.”

“Especially a lot more the last couple of weeks and knowing that I’m playing here.” Poitras said. “Maybe I was a little tired at the start of the third (period) but to see that one go in, it felt great.”

Piotras was later in perfect position when DeBrusk’s shot rebounded off Gibson’s chest. Piotras cleaned up the loose puck for his second goal and a 2-1 advantage at 10:20.

Marchand’s fourth goal of the season came with 2:34 remaining after the Ducks pulled Gibson for an extra skater.

The Bruins missed a prime chance to take an early lead on DeBrusk’s short-handed breakaway just over a minute into the game, but his shot on Gibson hit the left post. DeBrusk returned to action after being held out from Saturday’s victory over Los Angeles for being late to a meeting.

Boston had a 13-8 advantage on shots in the first period, while Anaheim forced the issue in the second period with a 10-4 advantage.

“I have a lot of faith in my boys in front of me, making the right plays and keeping their guys to the outside” Ullmark said. “That’s what we have to do. … We did all the things in the right way there in the third when we had the lead.”

Bruins forward Trent Federic went to the locker room late in the second period after he absorbed a hip check from the Ducks’ Radko Gudas in the lower abdomen.

Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk made his return to Anaheim and received a short tribute video in the first period after playing the previous three seasons in Anaheim.

REST STOP

Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson was an observer Sunday as a healthy scratch following a road game Saturday against Arizona. Carlsson, the No. 2 overall selection in this year’s NHL Draft, made his NHL debut Thursday and scored a goal on his first career shot against Dallas. He did not register a point in 22 minutes against the Coyotes. The Ducks are expected to keep the 18-year-old forward on a moderate early workload as he adapts to the NHL.

UP NEXT

Bruins: At Chicago on Tuesday night to finish a four-game trip.

Ducks: At Columbus on Tuesday night to open a four-game trip.

It is the third time in Marchand’s 15-year career he has recorded a point in each of the Bruins’ first four games (three goals, three assists). He scored Boston’s final two goals and had an assist in the first period.

Pastrnak, who was second in the league with 61 goals last season, had a goal and two assists. He is the first Bruins player since Dimitri Kvartalnov in 1992-93 to open the season with a goal in four straight games.

Pastrnak is off to another fast start with five goals and eight points.

Morgan Geekie scored the go-ahead goal in the second period for the Bruins, who are off to their first 4-0 start since 1990-91.

“I think we started to get more physical. We got emotion into our game. … And then I think we just wore out the back of the net,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “We held onto pucks. I think we really saw the type of team we believe we can be.”

Los Angeles had its two-game winning streak snapped on a night when Anze Kopitar skated in his 1,297th career game, passing Dustin Brown for most games played in franchise history.

Los Angeles’ Alex Laferriere scored his first NHL goal to tie it at 1 in the second period before Geekie and Marchand scored in a 48-second span later in the period to put the Bruins up for good.

Boston’s Derek Forbert had a pair of assists and Jeremy Swayman stopped 32 shots.

Carl Grundstrum had a power-play goal late in the third period for Los Angeles, and Cam Talbot made 21 saves.

Pastrnak opened the scoring at 13:10 of the first period. with a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that went off the crossbar and into the net.

Laferriere evened it at 1 at 6:28 of the second period on a breakaway. The 21-year old forward, who was playing in his fifth NHL game, was able to get a wrist shot as he was going down to one knee after being pressured from behind by Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo.

“It was just an unbelievable play by my linemates. Kevin (Fiala) made a great pass to PL (Pierre-Luc Dubois) and then PL found me kind of right up the middle,” Laferriere said. “I was feeling the pressure, so good to get the first one.”

Geekie put in his first as a member of the Bruins at 14:45 of the second with a rebound after Derek Forbert’s shot from near the blue line went off Milan Lucic’s skate.

“Just right place, right time kind of thing,” Geekie said. “Just try to give it a little extra effort to get through there and just get inside and make a play on the puck.”

Marchand then made it a two-goal lead at 15:33 when his wrist shot from the top of the slot went between Talbot’s legs for his second of the season. Marchand extended the lead to 4-1 at 17:48 of the third after getting a great pass from Pastrnak in front of the net.

TOUGH START AT HOME

Los Angeles was one of the top teams in the league at home last season, but are 0-2-1 in their first three to open this campaign.

The Kings though did not get an easy schedule to start the year on home ice with two division champions (Colorado and Carolina) and President’s Trophy winner Boston as the opposition.

“We talked about needing measuring tools and measuring sticks. Those are three teams that you have to beat especially on home ice at some point,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “When I look at how we lost those games, we gave up two shorties, we lacked details on face offs, our net play, we gave up 13 goals against those three teams in our building.

“I think we have a pretty good path right now as a team of where we need to go and what we need to work on. We can get there. I really believe we can. But we now have some direction. And that’s not a bad thing to have.”

UP NEXT

Bruins: Remain in Southern California to face the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

Kings: Host the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday.

Both of van Riemsdyk’s goals — his first two in his initial season with the Bruins — came on a power play.

“Anytime you get your first one, it definitely helps you relax a little bit,” he said. “We moved the puck around pretty well and we made good plays just to get the puck to the net. We kept it simple and tried to get traffic down there and, obviously, we got rewarded.”

Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in his season debut for Boston (2-0), which killed seven penalties.

Colton Sissons scored both goals for the Predators (1-2) and Juuse Saros made 29 stops. Saros has played all their games so far this season.

“I think both sides of the special teams left wanting more tonight,” Sissons said. “We had a lot of opportunities on the power play, but we’ve got to do our job on the penalty kill.”

Nashville went 0 for 7 on the power play.

“That’s why we got that win,” Swayman said. “It was special to see guys stick to a game plan and not get down on themselves when we get penalty after penalty.”

Positioned in the slot, van Riemsdyk tipped in Charlie McAvoy’s shot for the go-ahead goal 2:52 into the final period.

Pastrnak’s goal — his third of the season — came with 5:14 left in the second, giving the Bruins a 2-1 edge. Pastrnak was awarded a penalty shot after Alexandre Carrier held his stick on a clean breakaway. Pastrnak slowly skated down the center and fired a wrist shot over Saros’ left shoulder.

Nashville tied it with the goalie pulled for a delayed Boston penalty when Sissons tipped in Roman Josi’s shot from the point at 16:54.

Coming off a shutout win over Seattle in their home opener, the Predators grabbed a 1-0 edge when Sissons one-timed Kiefer Sherwood’s drop pass inside the left post 3:29 into the game.

Boston tied it on van Riemsdyk’s first goal at 14:48. He was attempting to center a pass from the side of the net when it caromed in off Nashville defenseman Dante Fabbro.

With Nashville on a power play midway through the second period, Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort knocked the puck out of the crease just before it crossed the goal line.

“When you lose the special team battle, it’s hard to win in this league,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “We lost it pretty big time tonight.”

NEW PACE

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery feels like the Predators have a different approach this season after missing the playoffs.

“They’re much more of a fastbreak team, more of a transition team than they were before,” he said.

NOTES: Swayman went 26-6-4 with a 2.27 goals-against-average last season. … Nashville defenseman Luke Schenn missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. … The Bruins held Nashville to just one shot on goal with forward Jakub Lauko in the box on a double-minor penalty for high sticking midway into the second.

UP NEXT

Predators: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

Bruins: Play their first road game of the season at the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

“It’s a big relief,” said Bedard, who posed with the puck in the locker room after the 3-1 loss to Boston. “You want to get one really bad, quick, and kind of get that out of the way. But it was really cool moment and cool building to do it in.”

David Pastrnak scored to break a second-period tie and added an empty-netter for Boston, which won its season opener a year after setting NHL records for wins and points but then losing in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bruins victory spoiled the milestone for Bedard, the league’s most anticipated rookie in nearly a decade. The No. 1 overall draft pick also registered his first penalty and gave the Blackhawks a scare when he crashed into the boards skates-first late in the third period and was slow getting up.

He remained in the game and pronounced himself “great” afterward.

“I think he was more gassed, and tired and disappointed that he missed,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “He’s fine. He just missed a chance there. When he was going in there, I thought the game was going to be tied.”

Trent Frederic also scored for Boston and reigning Vezina Trophy-winner Linus Ullmark made 20 saves. Matthew Poitras, the Bruins’ top rookie, assisted on Frederic’s goal for his first career NHL point.

Arvid Soderblom stopped 32 shots for the Blackhawks, who beat Pittsburgh in their opener on Tuesday, when Bedard had an assist for his first NHL point. He topped that in Boston when he scored on a wraparound that beat Ullmark and made it 1-0.

“I remember, like, being behind the net and kind of seeing it and I was just like, ‘Don’t screw this up,’” Bedard said. “And then once it went in, just a lot of joy, for sure.”

Frederic tied it midway through the first and Pastrnak beat Soderblom on his glove side to give Boston the lead on a feed from Milan Lucic. Pastrnak made it 3-1 with just under a minute left when Soderblom was pulled for an extra skater.

OTHER FIRSTS

Bedard drew a penalty for tripping Brad Marchand in the second period. He remained in the game after his awkward collision into the boards with about five minutes left, but was working out the kinks in his right shoulder after talking to reporters in the locker room.

Boston rookie Johnny Beecher picked up his first penalty when he got in a fight with Jason Dickinson in the third period.

HALL PASS

Chicago forward Taylor Hall did not play in the third period after leaving the ice in the second following a hit from Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. Hall, who played in Boston last year, tried one more shift but then told the trainers he was done.

Richardson pronounced the 2010 No. 1 overall pick week-to-week with an unspecified upper body injury.

“I think — especially being in Boston — he really wanted to get back out there and give it a go,” Richardson said, saying the blindside hit from Brandon Carlo was illegal. “I know exactly what it is because I used to do it all the time. But now it’s not in the game. So we just hope that there’s not a lot of those there that we see because they’re they’re not great for anybody.”

A CENTURY OF BRUINS

The Bruins opened their 100th season with a ceremony to welcome back some of their greats, including Orr, Esposito and Ray Bourque. More recent players and members of the 2011 Stanley Cup champions included Patrice Bergeron, Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara.

Family members representing the late Eddie Shore, Dit Clapper and Milt Schmidt also took part. Willie O’Ree, who broke the NHL’s color barrier in 1958, appeared by video from his home in San Diego.

“A little ‘welcome to the league’ moment out there,” Marchand said with a chuckle. “But, you know, he gives it to guys every day, too. So it’s fun to see out there.”

Marchand followed up his ankle-breaker by skating over to Poitras (pronounced POT’-rah) for a little stick tap on the shinguard — the new, mature version of the “Little Ball of Hate” that was promised when he ascended to the captaincy this summer. Afterward, there was more encouragement for the Canadian juniors product who led the team with three goals this preseason and played himself onto the Bruins roster.

“I really like him. He’s a really good kid,” Marchand said. “He’s just seems like he’s never under pressure. The game doesn’t move too fast for him. … He has all the attributes to be a great player in this league, and we’ll see how it plays out.”

Poitras is one of two rookies expected to make the opening night roster, joining forward Johnny Beecher, a 2019 first-round draft choice who played three seasons in college at Michigan. 2020 second-rounder Mason Lohrei, a defenseman who played at Ohio State, was sent down to Providence on Monday but is expected to be back.

“It’s exciting,” said defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who played himself onto the Bruins playoff roster in 2016, two weeks after Boston University was knocked out of the NCAA tournament.

“I just remember little stuff like your first point, your first goal,” he said. “Little stuff like that. It’s something that you play this game for, right? It’s cool, it’s fun. … They played outstanding in camp and I’m looking to embrace the opportunity to help them grow.”

The Bruins set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points to win the Presidents Trophy last season before losing in the first round loss of the playoffs. Over the summer, captain Patrice Bergeron and fellow forward David Krejci retired, opening up some spots on the roster for newcomers.

“You never know the timelines. You just try and support to the development process,” general manager Don Sweeney said. “And when kids are ready — players are ready — give them the opportunity and hope that they take advantage of it. That’s on them.”

An Ontario, Canada, native who still has a Guelph Storm toiletries kit in his TD Garden locker, Poitras hasn’t yet figured out where he is going to live in Boston or learned how to cook anything that doesn’t come with instructions on the box. The Bruins open the season Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, and for now his focus is sticking around.

“For me, I think it’s just telling myself: ‘I belong here, and I believe that I can play at this level,’” he said. “So I’m just going to be confident. I’ll play my game. I’m not going to go out of character and do a lot of things that haven’t helped me get here.”

Poitras is one of a few 2022 draft picks who could make the leap to the NHL already, including Arizona’s Logan Cooley and Toronto’s Fraser Minten. Poitras, who was selected No. 54 overall, is the latest pick in that draft to make it already.

But he won’t be the youngest player on the ice on Wednesday night.

Chicago’s No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard is only 18.

“My rear-view mirror is broken,” team president Cam Neely said as the 2023 Presidents Trophy winners opened training camp. “You certainly can learn from the past, and take some things away from that. But the page has turned, and we’ve got a new season coming up.”

A year after setting NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points, the Bruins think they are primed for a run at the Stanley Cup. They’d have to do it without captain and six-time Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron, who has retired along with scoring threat David Krejčí

“People on the outside might view it as a void (considering) what other people and great players had done in the past,” general manager Don Sweeney said. “That’s evolution that every team goes through. We’re fortunate enough to have players that are really excited about that opportunity.”

Brad Marchand replaced Bergeron as captain and returns to an offense that still has Hart Trophy runner-up David Pastrnak. Charlie McAvoy anchors a blue line that added veteran Kevin Shattenkirk to six returning defensemen.

And in goal, Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark is back after winning 40 games last season with a 1.89 goals-against average; Jeremy Swayman, who went 24-6-4 with a 2.24 GAA, is back as the backup once again.

“The expectations, they don’t change,” Sweeney said. “We didn’t expect to win 65 games last year I don’t expect to win 65 this year. But, I do expect us to be a highly competitive team from Day 1 and to take the approach that we’re going to be a tough out each and every night and wear that jersey with pride. That’s what this organization is trying to stand for.”

Bergeron had toyed with retirement before, but he decided to return for one last run a year ago. Krejčí, who spent 2021-22 playing in his native Czechia, also signed on for another year.

With Jim Montgomery replacing Bruce Cassidy as coach, the team responded with a record-breaking campaign, surpassing the record of 62 wins that had been held by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning. The record of 132 points had stood since the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, though rules changes made it easier to come by.

It all did Boston little good when it met with the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bruins opened a 3-1 lead before Florida forced a decisive seventh game, Boston led 3-2 before Brandon Montour tied it with 1 minute left in regulation. Carter Verhaeghe scored midway through the first overtime to oust the stunned Bruins.

Sweeney called it “scar tissue.”

“And it exists in each and every one of us. We take the disappointment and apply it going forward,” he said. “We’ve fallen short, and last year’s a great example of that. . … Eyes are forward, everybody has a job to do and there are expectations that come along with them.”

The good news for the Bruins: The record-setting Red Wings and Lightning also failed to deliver on their unprecedented seasons, with Tampa Bay losing in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, just like Boston. But each went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles the next two seasons.

Marchand isn’t looking back – or forward.

“I really don’t get caught up in thinking about things down the road. A perfect example is last year,” he said. “You can’t get caught up in what’s ahead of you, and you’ve got to be in the moment.

“I’m so grateful for this moment right now, and for each and every day that’s about to come up,” he said. “There’s so much to do with the interim — like right now — that I can’t even think down the road.”

Marchand will be the 27th captain in Bruins history, following Bergeron and his predecessor, Zdeno Chara. 

“I am extremely proud of Brad and the hockey player he has become,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs in a statement. “Brad has been a Bruin for over 15 years and had the opportunity to learn from great leaders in Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron.” 

Jacobs said Marchand “is ready for this opportunity,” adding “our whole team will learn from his competitive nature and tenacity.” 

“I am confident he will represent our organization with heart and grit,” Jacobs said. 

Bergeron announced his retirement on July 25. 

Marchand, now entering his 15th NHL season, has spent his entire career to date with the Bruins, playing in 947 total games and scoring a total of 372 goals.

Marchand was originally drafted in the third round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and was part of the 2011 Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup. 

The Bruins shared a video on social media Wednesday morning as part of their announcement, showing a worker sewing the letter “C” onto Marchand’s jersey. 

“The Legacy Continues,” read a message attached to the video. 

“It’s your captain speaking,” Marchand said in a video message to fans. “I just want to thank everyone for your support.”

Marchand said he is “truly very honored” to be named captain and said “I take a ton of pride in wearing this jersey and being part of this organization and team.” 

Marchand said he is excited to begin the 2023-2024 season, which will mark the Bruins’ 100th year as a team. 

He separately spoke at the Warrior Ice Area in Boston, saying the honor of being named captain was “pretty incredible.” 

“At the end of the day, we have a lot of guys that it could go to and that are deserving but, I did want it and was hoping to have the opportunity,” Marchand said. 

Marchand said he feels he’s ready to take on the challenge of being captain thanks, in part, to his apprenticeship under Bergeron and Chara. 

“I’ve seen two of the best leaders to ever lead in this game come through here and I’d love for my name to be beside there in that category when I’m done,” he said. 

Bruins President Cam Neely said Marchand “had some good mentors,” saying Marchand has “come a long way in his career” on and off the ice. 

“We felt he would be a really good next captain for this organization,” Neely said.

As for Marchand’s legacy, the new captain said it’s all about earning the respect of everyone inside the Bruins’ dressing room. 

“You want to win and you want to have success, but I think the way the guys view you as a leader and as a teammate is what’s important and that’s what I want to try to do is help build something special for our group,” Marchand said. 

The Bruins are scheduled to begin preseason play on Sunday with a home game against the New York Rangers.

The team is then set to open its regular season at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 11.

Krejci announced his retirement in a statement Monday, thanking team president Cam Neely and general manager Don Sweeney for allowing time to make the decision. It comes three weeks after captain and face of the franchise Patrice Bergeron opted to retire.

“After 15 full NHL seasons I have decided to retire from the best league in the world,” Krejci said. “I have been very lucky to be on so many good teams and play with so many great players.”

Krejci, 37, returned to North America last fall for one final NHL season. He had gone home for a year to play in front of his friends and family in his native Czechia.

A versatile, two-way center, Krecji played 1,192 regular-season and playoff games for the Bruins from 2007-2023, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 2011. He put up 871 points in that time, helping Boston reach the playoffs 13 times and make three appearances in the final.

The Bruins lost in the first round to eventual Eastern Conference champion Florida this past season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the regular season. The departures of Bergeron and Krejci leave them with 26-year-old Pavel Zacha and 31-year-old Charlie Coyle as the top two centers.

Sweeney went through the offseason planning for life without Bergeron and Krejci, bringing back 2011 Cup-winning winger Milan Lucic and signing forwards James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to bargain contracts that fit with the teams’ tight salary cap situation.

“It’s been an amazing ride, 20 years, but also hockey brings you a lot of pressure and stress,” he said on Wednesday at a TD Garden news conference a day after he announced his retirement. “So, it will be a nice change to just be able to be the Uber driver for the family for a little bit and just relax.”

A soon-to-be Hall of Famer who centered the first line on the best team in hockey during his final season, Bergeron announced on Tuesday that he would not return next season.

It wasn’t that his skills were slipping: He won his second straight Selke Trophy as the league’s top forward— and sixth overall — and led the Bruins to the most wins and most points in NHL history. But his desire to prepare for the games was.

“It was taking a lot longer now. I couldn’t just put the equipment on and jump on the ice,” he said.

“I wanted to play the game at the highest level that I could, and felt like I wanted to kind of leave on top of my game,” Bergeron told a gathering of reporters, with representatives from ownership and the front office also in attendance for the news conference in the aptly named Legends restaurant. “I just knew it was time.”

Bergeron scored 427 goals with 613 assists in 19 seasons with the Bruins, who selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft. He added 50 more goals and 78 points in the playoffs, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final three times, and scoring twice — one of them short-handed — in the Game 7 clincher against Vancouver. The French-speaking native of the Quebec City suburbs also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada.

Bruins president Cam Neely said the team hadn’t made any plans yet to honor their former captain, but retiring his No. 37 is “a no-brainer.” “We’ll figure out a time to do that,” Neely said.

The front office and coaching staff will also discuss the new captain. Brad Marchand is the longest-tenured member of the roster, and he has worn the alternate’s “A” since 2020, when Bergeron was elevated to the captaincy with the departure of Zdeno Chara. (Bergeron noted that Chara didn’t exactly let himself go, running the Boston Marathon last year.)

Neely said he and the rest of the Bruins management tried to talk Bergeron out of retiring, with no luck.

“The recurring theme was always that you’re going to know when it’s time. And it just felt like it was,” Bergeron said. “I’m a very intuitive guy. I feel like I always listen to my instincts and my heart, and it just felt like it was time for me to move on. Unfortunately, I wish I could play forever and never have to do this. But, as you know, eventually you have to move on. The body tells you something sometimes.”

Bergeron, 38, led the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship and two other trips to the Final. He considered retirement last summer, but came back on a one-year deal and helped Boston win the Presidents Trophy with the NHL’s best record ever.

But after a first-round loss in the playoffs, though, he went through the thought process again.

“When the wound is fresh, you can’t make rational decisions. You have to really make sure you think about things or at least give yourself time to let it come to you, and I felt like that’s what I did,” Bergeron said. “There was a part of me that, yes, wanted to come back early on. … Once I took a step back and I realized everything that I was fortunate to experience and live as a hockey player and as a person, I felt very lucky and grateful.”

Bergeron didn’t spend much time reminiscing about his career highlights. But he was asked about one moment that proved to be formative: The concussion that ended his 2007-08 season after 10 games and left him appreciating the game even more.

“Things happen for a reason,” he said. “Of course, I’d like to change that moment, but at the same time I wouldn’t because it made me stronger and made me realize how thankful I am and grateful to be able to play. It took that away from me for quite some time, so for every time in harder days or dog days of winter when it’s dark, I always try to go and appreciate practice, or a workout, or obviously the games. So it’s taught me a lot.”

Bergeron’s retirement brought tributes from the Boston locker room and across the league.

“What you’ve built here is special,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said in a video posted by the team. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to take care of it. I love you. I know we’ll be friends forever, and I want to wish you the best of luck in your next chapter with your beautiful family.”

“I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined,” the Bruins captain said in a statement posted on social media. “As I step away today, I have no regrets. I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I’m humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans.”

The Bruins are expected to retire Bergeron’s No. 37, making him the 12th player so honored. He is a certain first-ballot inductee for the Hockey Hall of Fame when he is eligible in three years.

“Patrice is a perfect example of what Boston Bruins hockey is all about,” said team president Cam Neely, himself a Hall of Fame player whose number has been retired by the Original Six franchise. “He has been an amazing teammate and extraordinary leader, helping establish a culture of work ethic, respect and selflessness.”

Bergeron, who turned 38 on Monday, considered retirement last summer only to return for another season. With him as the captain and the first-line center, the Bruins set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points, and Bergeron won an unprecedented sixth Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.

But Bergeron missed the first four games of the playoffs with a herniated disk, and the Presidents Trophy winners lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Florida Panthers.

Bergeron wrote Tuesday that he knows “how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms.”

“It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly,” he said. “But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.”

In all, Bergeron scored 427 goals with 613 assists in 19 seasons with the Bruins, who selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft. He added 50 more goals and 78 points in the playoffs, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final three times, and scoring twice — one of them shorthanded — in the Game 7 clincher against Vancouver. The French-speaking native of the Quebec City suburbs also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada.

He is third all-time for the 100-year-old franchise in goals, points (1,040) and games played (1,294), and fourth in assists behind only Hall of Famers Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk and Bobby Orr. With Bergeron’s retirement, Brad Marchand becomes the only remaining member of the 2011 championship team, though Milan Lucic re-signed with the team this summer after eight seasons away.

To his teammates, Bergeron wrote: “I have tried to learn something from each and every one of you and I always tried to be the best teammate that I could be. I will never forget your trust, the laughs, the endless memories, the ups and downs, and ultimately the long lasting friendships. I will forever be grateful being a part of such an exceptional group of men, and I will carry the pride of winning in 2011 with me forever.”

He also thanked the Bruins management and staff, the Boston fans and media, and his teammates and family and ended with a message to the next generation of hockey players.

“I had a dream at 12 years old, and through hard work and perseverance my dreams came true more than I ever could have imagined,” he wrote. “Respect the game and your peers. Welcome adversity and simply enjoy yourself. No matter where you go from there the game will bring you so much happiness.”

—

Full statement from Patrice Bergeron announcing retirement

When I was around 12 years old a teacher asked everyone in my class to write about our dreams. For me, my dream was already clear: to become a professional hockey player.

I was probably a little naive growing up, because in my mind this dream was never a question of if, but when it would happen. The path to making my dreams come true was not easy. I faced adversity and made so many sacrifices, but throughout it all my love for the game only grew and my determination to achieve my goals always remained strong.

For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day. I have had the honor of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.

It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player.

As hard as it is to write, I also write it knowing how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms. It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly. But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.

I also know that none of this was possible on my own, and I would like to humbly take this opportunity to acknowledge some people who helped me achieve my goals and who made my career so special.

From my minor hockey days in Quebec City all the way through major junior in Acadie-Bathurst, there were so many coaches, teammates and parents who helped me fall in love with hockey. Thank you for laying the groundwork on what became a lifelong passion.

In 2003, the Bruins drafted me, and from the moment I put my draft sweater on, everyone in the organization believed in me. I want to thank the Jacobs family, team management, coaches, trainers, support staff, team doctors and psychologists, scouts and TD Garden staff. The commitment of this group of people and constant support on and off the ice made wearing the Black and Gold so special every day.

One of the best parts of pulling on the spoked-B jersey is the incredible history of the franchise. The players that came before me always welcomed me with open arms and were always there with encouragement, to listen and help me better understand the tradition and responsibilities that come with playing for the Bruins.

While not always easy, I always tried my best to understand that part of being a professional hockey player included my responsibility to the media who helped tell our story to the fans. I enjoyed getting to know some of you personally over the years and I always appreciated being covered fairly and the job that the media did telling the story of our team.

Over the last 20 years I have had the honor of taking the ice with so many great teammates. I have tried to learn something from each and every one of you and I always tried to be the best teammate that I could be. I will never forget your trust, the laughs, the endless memories, the ups and downs, and ultimately the long lasting friendships. I will forever be grateful being a part of such an exceptional group of men, and I will carry the pride of winning in 2011 with me forever.

The amazing people of New England welcomed a young French Canadian who didn’t speak great English and you treated me like one of your own. I can’t imagine representing a better community or more passionate fan base than the Boston Bruins. Your passion, your dedication and your kindness towards me and my family will never be forgotten. Please know that every time I took the ice I tried to compete for you the right way, and off the ice I tried the best that I could to give back to the community that supported me. The connections and friends that my family and I have made here are unquantifiable. Boston is, and will forever be, a special place for me and my family.

There is only one other jersey that I ever wanted to wear, and that is the Canadian jersey. Representing my country at the highest level – especially winning Gold in Vancouver and Sochi are also some of my proudest moments. I would like to thank everyone who helped make those experiences possible.

Navigating life as a professional athlete is not easy, and my two agents, Kent Hughes and Phil Lecavalier, helped me find my way. Your guidance through the ups and downs of my career helped eliminate distractions and uncertainty so that I could focus on being the best player that I could be. I have also had a great team of professionals in Boston and Quebec who have been instrumental in both my physical and mental health, allowing me to reach my maximum potential.

Since day one, my friends and extended family in Quebec have been by my side. You guys know who you are. I remain so appreciative of your continued support.

To my mom, Sylvie and my dad, Gerard. It all started with you both, and your unwavering love. I couldn’t have asked for better parents. What I have achieved, and who I have become, is because of you. The sacrifices that you both made for my goals are appreciated more than I can ever state. You guys have always believed in me and my dreams, even when no one else did. You always found the right way to help guide me in this journey with endless support.

To my brother Guillaume. It’s hard to find words to explain our bond. You have been the biggest influence in my life and the best role model a little brother could hope for. My dream started by playing street hockey with you as young boys and you have been my number one fan every step of the way. I am forever thankful for all of your advice, words of encouragement and for always having time to simply listen to me.

To my wife Stephanie. Steph you’re my rock. You put your career aside and allowed me to pursue my passion. Grateful is an understatement for my appreciation for your sacrifices. You always see the positive in every situation and your unconditional love means the world to me. Most importantly, you always see me as a husband and a dad before a hockey player. The kids and I are so lucky to have you. I love you.

To my wonderful kids Zack, Victoria, Noah and Felix. Daddy loves you so much. As I turn the page on this chapter of my life I am hopeful that through my experiences you realize that anything in your life is possible. Believe in your dreams and follow the voice inside you. Work endlessly for whatever it is that makes your eyes sparkle, and when times are tough, get back up and keep pushing. I’m the prime example that anything is possible and that amazing things happen when you believe in yourself and do what you love. Daddy will always be in your corner no matter where life takes you.

Finally, to the next generation of hockey players. I had a dream at 12 years old, and through hard work and perseverance my dreams came true more than I ever could have imagined. Respect the game and your peers. Welcome adversity and simply enjoy yourself. No matter where you go from there the game will bring you so much happiness.

As I step away today, I have no regrets. I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I’m humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans.

Sincerely yours,
Patrice Bergeron-Cleary

That should come in handy for Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hall was traded from Boston to Chicago on Monday, clearing some valuable cap space for the Bruins and giving the Blackhawks a veteran winger to pair with Bedard after they take the young center at the top of the draft on Wednesday night as expected.

The Blackhawks sent pending restricted free agents Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula to Boston for Hall and the expiring contract of Nick Foligno.

“We are thrilled to be adding players of Nick’s and Taylor’s caliber to our organization,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “The two bring a wealth of experience and leadership that will strengthen not only our forward group, but aid in the development of our entire roster.”

The 31-year-old Hall had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games last season. He also had five goals and three assists in seven playoff games. The Bruins set NHL records for most wins and points in a regular season, but they were upset by Florida in the first round of the playoffs.

Hall was selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He has 264 goals and 429 assists in 13 seasons with Edmonton, New Jersey, Boston, Arizona and Buffalo.

Hall was with the Oilers when they took Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015) with the No. 1 pick. He was playing for the Devils when they took Nico Hischier (2017) and Jack Hughes (2019) at No. 1.

Chicago is expected to take Bedard with this year’s No. 1 pick. He could be joined on the team’s top line by Hall, giving him some valuable experience to lean on.

Hall counts $6 million against the salary cap over the next two seasons. But rebuilding Chicago is more concerned with the floor than the ceiling when it comes to the cap at the moment. The Blackhawks were not on Hall’s no-trade list, so the Bruins could make the trade without his consent.

Foligno, 35, had 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games last season. Given its financial situation, Chicago could try to convince him to skip free agency with a short-term contract for above market value.

Shedding salary could allow Boston to re-sign winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who was a great fit after he was acquired at the trade deadline from Detroit. Bertuzzi had 16 points in 21 regular-season games and then 10 points in seven games in the first round.

The Blackhawks are well-stocked when it comes to defense prospects, and Mitchell and Regula were never quite able to find regular time in the NHL lineup.

The 24-year-old Mitchell, a second-round pick in 2017, has four goals and 12 assists in 82 games over three seasons. Regula, 22, a third-rounder in 2018, has one goal in 22 career NHL appearances.

Boston could decide against tendering a qualifying offer to either player and put that money toward retaining Bertuzzi and adding other players in free agency.

In a minor league swap of restricted free agents, the Bruins sent forward Shane Bowers to New Jersey for defenseman Reilly Walsh.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves as the Panthers won three in a row after falling behind 3-1 in the series to advance in the postseason for just the second time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. They will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round.

Boston rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead, but Florida pulled Bobrovsky for one final push and Montour tied it with his second of the game. Verhaeghe won it on a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that just made it under the crossbar.

That eliminated the Bruins, who set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points in the regular season but become the second Presidents’ Trophy winner in five years to lose in the first round.

Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida. The Bruins had not lost three games in a row all season.

David Krejci and Tyler Bertuzzi scored after Boston fell behind 2-0, and David Pastrnak gave the Bruins their only lead of the game on a power-play goal 55 seconds into the third period. Jeremy Swayman, making his first start of the series as a sub for likely Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, stopped 32 shots.

The game could be the last for Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, the five-time Selke Trophy-winner who teased retirement last year but opted to return. He was the last Boston player on the ice.

Boston; Sunday, 6:30 p.m. EDT

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NHL LINE: Bruins -239, Panthers +196; over/under is 6

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 3-3

BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers visit the Boston Bruins in game seven of the first round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Friday for the 13th time this season. The Panthers won 7-5 in the previous meeting. Matthew Tkachuk led the Panthers with two goals.

Boston has a 21-7-4 record in Atlantic Division games and a 65-12-5 record overall. The Bruins have given up 174 goals while scoring 301 for a +127 scoring differential.

Florida has a 20-9-3 record in Atlantic Division games and a 42-32-8 record overall. The Panthers have a +16 scoring differential, with 288 total goals scored and 272 given up.

TOP PERFORMERS: David Pastrnak has 61 goals and 51 assists for the Bruins. Jake DeBrusk has scored six goals and added two assists over the past 10 games.

Tkachuk has 40 goals and 69 assists for the Panthers. Brandon Montour has five goals and seven assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 4.1 goals, 7.2 assists, 4.8 penalties and 17.1 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.

Panthers: 5-4-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 5.9 assists, 6.2 penalties and 21.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

INJURIES: Bruins: Nick Foligno: out (lower-body), David Krejci: day to day (upper body).

Panthers: Ryan Lomberg: day to day (undisclosed), Patric Hornqvist: out (concussion).

Aleksander Barkov, Brandon Montour, Zac Dalpe and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers, who got 30 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. Reinhart capped it with an empty-netter with 28 seconds left — the seventh and final goal of the third period, four of those scores by Florida.

Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrnak each scored twice for Boston, which got four assists from Brad Marchand and 26 saves from Linus Ullmark. Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Bruins.

The team with the best regular-season record in NHL history took one-goal leads on two separate occasions in the third period — and couldn’t hold either one of them. Now, they face a Game 7 on Sunday just to get into the second round against a Florida team that has already staved off elimination twice.

Not even three power-play goals and one short-handed tally was enough to give Boston a win, either.

The game started along the exact sequence that Game 5 in Boston did on Wednesday night: Florida took a 1-0 lead, Boston tied it, Florida took a 2-1 lead, Boston tied it, Florida took a 3-2 lead, Boston tied it.

Evidently, that’s when the teams decided a repeat performance was boring.

They combined for four goals in a span of 6:56 — this time, with the Panthers answering the Bruins.

Boston went up 4-3 on a power-play score from Pastrnak, Dalpe tied it for Florida, DeBrusk scored short-handed for a 5-4 lead, and Tkachuk got his second of the night 27 seconds later to tie it again.

And less than 4 minutes later, Luostarinen made it 6-5 — the Panthers back on top with 5:38 left, a sellout crowd in Sunrise waiving white towels in unison. Boston pulled Ullmark twice with hopes of netting the equalizer, had good looks at it in the final minute, but Bobrovsky and Florida’s defense held on and Reinhart banged a puck off the boards, down the ice and into the net to seal the win.

AROUND THE RINK

It was captain Patrice Bergeron’s 1,463rd game with the Bruins, including the playoffs. That’s one behind New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur for 13th-most with one franchise. … Florida forward Ryan Lomberg (upper body) missed his second consecutive game. … Bruins C David Krejci (37) and D Connor Clifton (28) had birthdays on Friday. Boston was 1-1 in Krejci’s previous birthday games, beating Tampa Bay in 2018 and losing to Ottawa in 2013. The Bruins shut out Buffalo on Clifton’s birthday last year.

BIG CALL

The biggest play of the night might have been made by someone on the Panthers’ staff armed with an iPad.

The Bruins appeared to take a 3-2 lead with 11:32 left in the second period on a goal by Brandon Carlo — except the play should have been whistled dead 10 seconds earlier. But Florida took a quick look and challenged the goal by claiming DeBrusk had been guilty of a hand pass to Bergeron in the corner to Bobrovsky’s left earlier in the play.

Officials eventually agreed, taking the goal off the board. Barkov scored for a 3-2 Florida lead about two minutes later.

RARE NUMBERS

It was the fifth time in Bruins’ history that they had at least three power-play goals and one short-handed score in a playoff game. Of the earlier four, two came in 1976, one in 1970 and the other in 1958.

UP NEXT

Game 7 is Sunday in Boston.

One game after Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark tried to fight Tkachuk, the Panthers forward took advantage of Ullmark’s sloppy puck play behind the net and cut the Presidents’ Trophy winners’ lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 44 saves for Florida, which has won back-to-back games in Boston but lost twice at home. Anthony Duclair, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart also scored — each one giving the Panthers a lead.

Patrice Bergeron scored in his return from an injury, and Ullmark stopped 21 shots for the Bruins. Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall had the other goals for Boston, which rallied from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime.

It was 2-1 Florida when Bergeron tied it five seconds into a Boston power play, tipping Marchand’s shot into the net. Seconds later, Tkachuk drew a hooking penalty on Jakub Lauko, and Reinhart quickly put the Panthers back in front.

With about 10 minutes left in regulation, though, Hall fought for a puck in the slot, turned and wristed it into the net to tie the game 3-3. The Panthers earned a faceoff in the Boston zone with 8 seconds left, but Marchand poked the puck free and chased it down, breaking free down the ice.

Bobrovsky turned him aside with 1 second left on the clock.

Patrice Bergeron was on the ice and skating with teammates after sitting out all of his team’s postseason play due to an injury.

Bergeron skated on his own last week, but did not make the trip to Florida for Games 3 and 4 against the Florida Panthers, where the Bruins won twice and built a 3-1 series lead.

Tuesday marked Bergeron’s first, full practice since the playoffs started, putting him on track to make a postseason debut for Game 5 in Boston on Wednesday night.

Speaking with reporters, the captain said he was feeling pretty good following the practice, adding that he was hopeful there would not be any setbacks keeping him out of the lineup.

However, he noted the importance of playing it smart and not forcing the issue too soon.

“It’s one of those things where you try to get back as quickly as possible, but at the same time, you’re trying to be smart and the training staff has done a tremendous job, so, I’m just taking it day-by-day,” the 37 year old said. “You want to be out there with the boys and battle and compete. You got through a full season and you work hard to get to this point – obviously, you want to be out there – it is frustrating. That being said, now we’re here and the boys have done a great job.”

Fellow captain David Krejci also took to the ice on Tuesday, skating on his own before the team’s practice after missing several playoff games himself due to injury.

Krejci has already been ruled out for Game 5, but could return for Game 6 if the series calls for one.

The puck drops for Game 5 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.

In this case, it only made the Boston Bruins appreciate him more.

Ullmark stopped 41 shots before leaving the game with 3:11 remaining after drawing a misconduct penalty — he wanted to fight Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk as the highlight of a late-game scrum — and the Bruins beat the Panthers 6-2 on Sunday to move one game away from the second round of the playoffs.

“I love it,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of his goalie. “He’s all in.”

Taylor Hall had two goals and two assists, Jake DeBrusk scored twice, and the Bruins took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series — with a chance to advance coming in Boston on Wednesday.

Brad Marchand and Tyler Bertuzzi also had goals for the Bruins, who got a second consecutive win on Florida ice. Hall’s goals came in the final 3:36, the second one an empty-netter.

But the talk of the locker room was Ullmark, for good reason.

“Tkachuk’s kind of doing a lot of things to try and get under our skin but for the most part, we’re doing a great job of keeping it between the whistles, and I’m proud of our group for doing so,” Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo said. “But at times, you’ve got to show a little passion and push back.”

Tkachuk and Sam Bennett had goals for Florida, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for the Panthers.

Hall put it away with 3:36 left, getting behind Florida’s defense and beating Bobrovsky easily for a 5-2 edge that sent Panthers fans to the exits — possibly for the last time this season.

“I liked the way we started. Certainly didn’t like the end result,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “But we’ll go into Boston feeling free.”

All Boston needs to do now is avoid a three-game losing streak in order to reach the second round for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

The Bruins dropped three in a row only once all season, on their way to having the best regular-season mark in NHL history — 65-12-5. Sunday’s win was Boston’s 68th of the season; only 10 teams, including playoffs, have ever won more in a single season.

Both of DeBrusk’s goals put Boston on top by two — the first a power-play score 1:52 into the second for a 2-0 lead, the other when he merely had to swipe a puck that popped out of Bobrovsky’s glove into the net for a 4-2 edge with 11:55 remaining.

Boston improved to 39-1-1 this season when leading after the first period, 50-1-2 when leading after two periods, and 52-1-1 in games where it led by two or more goals at any time.

“We don’t have to think about 3-1 or what’s going on,” Bobrovsky said. “We just have to take the approach of one shift at a time, and keep grinding.”

The Panthers had two notable lineup changes — Bobrovsky was in, Aaron Ekblad was out.

Alex Lyon’s run of 11 consecutive games as Florida’s starting goalie ended, with Bobrovsky getting the call there. Ekblad was listed as a game-time decision after leaving Game 3 early with an undisclosed injury; he wound up sitting out and Casey Fitzgerald played instead.

AROUND THE RINK

The Bruins went with their same lineup as Game 3, meaning Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci remained out Sunday. Montgomery said if either or both can play Wednesday, they will, and said he thinks Bergeron has a better chance to return. … Ullmark stopped a shot from Bennett in the first period with the top of his helmet. … The Panthers had one other lineup change from Game 3 — Anthony Duclair was out, Zac Dalpe was in. … Boston defenseman Dmitry Orlov (0-5-5) has had an assist in all four games of the series. … Pavel Zacha had two assists for Boston.

CHASING HISTORY

Boston is now four wins away from matching the record for most in a season, including playoffs. The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers, 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and last season’s Colorado Avalanche all won 72 games.

UP NEXT

Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston.

Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak and Nick Foligno also had goals for Boston, which reclaimed home-ice advantage and took a 2-1 lead in the series. Dmitry Orlov had a pair of long outlet passes that became assists for the Bruins.

Alex Lyon stopped 23 of 26 shots for Florida, the Pastrnak goal with 11:28 remaining chasing him and having Florida send in Sergei Bobrovsky. And that suggests the Panthers have a big decision to make on a starting netminder before Game 4 in Sunrise on Sunday afternoon.

Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart had goals for Florida, which didn’t get anything past Ullmark until 5:19 remained. Boston improved to 50-3-0 this season when allowing no more than two goals.

The Bruins were again without captain Patrice Bergeron, out with an upper-body injury. He won’t play in Game 4 either, with the Bruins believing he will be ready to play when the series returns to Boston for Game 5 next week.

Florida is built to let shots fly. There have been three teams in NHL history to take more than 3,000 shots in a season — the 1970-71 Bruins are one of them, and the other two are the 2021-22 Panthers, and the 2022-23 Panthers.

That makes what Boston did even more impressive than it looked on the stat sheet.

The Bruins held Florida to four shots in the second period — matching the Panthers’ fourth-lowest total for any of their 254 periods this season to that point. And while completely clamping down on the defensive end, Boston turned a 1-0 lead into a 2-0 edge.

Marchand sent a wobbling puck toward the net from the right point, and Coyle — positioned in front of the net — chopped down at it as it sailed toward the goal. The puck bounced off the ice and past Lyon at exactly 6:00 of the second.

Pastrnak got the second of the long Orlov assists after getting behind the defense to beat Lyon for a 3-0 lead, and Foligno made it 4-0 by tipping a pass by Bobrovsky with 8:15 left.

The Bruins — as would be expected from a No. 1 seed coming off a big home loss — came out flying and controlled long stretches of the opening period.

But it was a rather innocuous-looking play that gave Boston a 1-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes. Hall was along the right boards when he took a long clearing pass from Dmitry Orlov, controlled the puck and fired a shot from just inside the blue line.

It got over Lyon’s glove, and just 2:26 into the contest Boston had the lead.

AROUND THE RINK

Boston improved to 15-2-1 after a loss this season. … Florida has not been shut out at home in 109 consecutive games, going back to Feb. 24, 2021. … Ullmark was a game-time decision after Boston’s morning skate, but showed no ill effects of anything in Game 3. … Florida briefly lost D Aaron Ekblad with 11:11 left in the second after he collided with Boston’s Charlie McAvoy. Ekblad immediately grabbed for the top of his helmet, went directly to the locker room after getting off the ice — and was back less than three minutes later.

Montgomery announced that Bergeron will likely not return until Game 5, when the team is back in Boston.

Bergeron has been dealing with what has been reported as an upper body injury that has left him sidelined throughout the playoffs.

Earlier in the week, Montgomery had said the 37 year old had been “feeling better” but remained questionable heading into Game 2, ultimately sitting the match out.

With the series tied at 1-1, the puck drops for Game 3 tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The Panthers — the NHL’s top regular-season team last season — tied the best-of-seven series and head home for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday. There will be a Game 5 back in Boston on Wednesday.

Montour scored 22 seconds into the third period to break a 2-2 tie, Carter Verhaeghe added an insurance goal, then Montour scored again for Florida and Eetu Luostarinen added an empty netter with 2:25 to play to make it 6-2.

Alex Lyon stopped 34 shots, and Sam Bennett and Eric Staal also scored for the Panthers, who seemed overmatched by the NHL-best Bruins in a 3-1 series-opening loss.

Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal, and Tyler Bertuzzi and Taylor Hall also scored for the Bruins, who won their last eight – and 15 of their last 16 — regular-season games while setting NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points. Linus Ullmark made 24 saves.

Bennett, who missed the opener with an undisclosed injury, took advantage of a turnover by Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo in the Boston zone. Matthew Tkachuk kept it in, and slid it ahead to Bennett, who reached out to corral it and then extended to poke it between Ullmark’s pads.

But the Panthers had an even worse turnover with a man advantage, when Anthony Duclair gave it right to Marchand for the short-handed goal that made it 1-1. Two minutes later, the Panthers were back in the lead when Staal beat Ullmark, but Boston made it 2-2 just as a power play was expiring on Dmitry Orlov’s shot that went in off Bertuzzi’s skate.

O CAPTAIN!

Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron missed his second straight playoff game. After sitting out Game 1 with what was called an illness, the team conceded that he had an unspecified upper body injury.

The French Canadian Bergeron left after the first period of their final regular-season game — in Montreal. The game meant nothing to Boston except a chance to extend its record for the most wins and points in NHL history.

MY CAPTAIN!

Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who finished the Boston Marathon on Monday in 3 hours, 38 minutes, 23 seconds, was a fan banner captain during the pregame ceremony.

The 6-foot-9 defenseman was the last Bruins captain to skate around the ice with the Stanley Cup.

UP NEXT:

The series shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.

Linus Ullmark, a Vezina Trophy candidate who led the league in wins (40), goals-against average (1.89) and save percentage (.938), stopped 31 shots and Tyler Bertuzzi added two assists for Boston, which controlled the game even with captain Patrice Bergeron sitting out because of illness.

Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers and Alex Lyon made 26 saves but gave up Marchand’s goal on a relatively easy shot.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.

The Bruins captured the Presidents’ Trophy, setting NHL records in points (135) and wins (65). Florida, last season’s No. 1 seed, earned the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot with a late-season push.

It’s the first playoff matchup between a No. 1 seed and the Presidents’ winner from the previous season since the award was introduced in 1985-86.

Pastrnak, a 61-goal scorer this season, was on the opposite side on the right wing from his usual spot on the power play. Bertuzzi collected the rebound of David Krejci’s shot in the slot and sent a quick backhand pass to Pastrnak, who snapped the puck into the net at 5:58 of the opening period.

Lyon gave up the soft goal early in the second when Marchand fired a seemingly harmless shot from the top of the left circle. Lyon bent down to catch it and it tipped off his glove, caroming into the net after hitting the inside of the right post.

Soon after, the TD Garden crowd started serenading him with chants of “Lyon! Lyon!”

Florida cut the lead in half when Boston defenseman Dmitry Orlov sent a blind, backhand pass directly out front, where Tkachuk collected it and flipped the puck past Ullmark at 6:34 of the second.

DeBrusk restored the two-goal lead when he dove into a pile and knocked the puck into the net out of a scramble near the crease late in the second.

As it did to so many opponents during its record-setting season, Boston bottled up Florida in the third.

HIGHLIGHT STOPS

The 30-year-old Lyon, undrafted and essentially a career minor leaguer, made a pair of splendid stops after Boston took its 1-0 lead, coming across to make a left pad save on Bertuzzi’s redirect from the edge of the crease and sliding across to stop Trent Frederic’s chance. He robbed Frederic again late in the second.

AILING CAPTAIN

Bergeron left the regular-season finale in Montreal in the first period with an upper-body injury, then missed practice Saturday and Sunday.

“We have not only Bergeron, but a couple of guys that have been under the weather,” coach Jim Montgomery said after the morning skate.

NOTES: Krejci missed the last six games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. … Bruins D Derek Forbort returned to the lineup. He hadn’t played since mid-March because of a lower-body injury. D Matt Grzelcyk was a healthy scratch … Panthers C Aleksander Barkov was in the lineup after missing Sunday’s practice. … Florida G Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina winner, was the backup. He hasn’t played since March 27 because of a non-COVID illness. … Florida led the league in shots on goal per game with 36.82.

Dmitry Orlov had a goal and an assist. Trent Frederic, Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle also scored for Boston (65-12-5). Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves.

The Bruins closed their Presidents Trophy-winning season by establishing records for wins (65) and points (135) in a season. Boston broke the NHL points record with a 5-2 victory over Washington on Tuesday. With that win, the Bruins pushed their points total to 133, one more than the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. Those Canadiens played in an era without overtime and shootouts. The Bruins’ extra points for shootout wins and overtime wins were unavailable to Canadiens when they set the record.

The Bruins also set the NHL victory record with 63 on Sunday at Philadelphia, breaking a tie with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning.

Lucas Condotta scored in his NHL debut, and Michael Pezzetta added a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Nick Suzuki and Justin Barron also scored as Montreal closed the season at 31-45-6. Starting on back-to-back nights, Sam Montembeault made 16 saves.

Condotta put Montreal in front early when he moved into the crease and batted the puck in 3:27 into the first period. Joel Teasdale earned his first NHL point with an assist.

Boston tied the game 9:19 into the period when Frederic redirected Connor Clifton’s shot from the right faceoff circle.

DeBrusk gave the Bruins their first lead at 14:40, beating Montembeault with a shot from a tight angle.

Joel Edmundson intercepted a clearing pass along the boards and took a shot from the point that Suzuki tipped in 7:16 into the second period. He tied Cole Caufield’s team-best mark of 26 goals.

Montreal regained the lead just over a minute later when Rem Pitlick outraced Swayman for the puck and sent a pass to Pezzetta, who tapped in his seventh goal of the season into an empty net.

Orlov fired a shot just under the crossbar, tying the game at 3 for Boston at 13:58 of the second.

Barron scored on a loose puck in the slot for a short-handed goal, giving Montreal its third lead of the game 1:09 into the third period.

Coyle knotted the score for Boston, beating Montembeault with a wrist shot at 8:48.

Just over two minutes later, Orlov connected with Pastrnak on a cross-crease pass. Pastrnak’s 61st goal of the season was the winner.

INJURY REPORT

Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson left the game early in the second period after getting tangled up with Coyle in the neutral zone and falling onto the ice. The team announced during the second period that Matheson had suffered a lower-body injury and would not return.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Face the Florida Panthers in a first-round playoff series.

Canadiens: Season over.

Under chants of “We want the Cup!” the Bruins’ won their seventh straight to push their points total to 133, one more than the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. Those Canadiens played in an era without overtime and shootouts.

The Bruins broke the mark a game after setting the NHL victory’ record with 63 on Sunday at Philadelphia, breaking a tie with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tomas Nosek, Garnet Hathaway and Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston on Tuesday night in win No. 64.

A night after reaching 60 goals in season for the first time, David Pastrnak posted his 50th and 51st assists. Linus Ullmark finished with 19 saves, with left the game with just over nine minutes left with an undisclosed issue. Marchand and Patrice Bergeron added assists.

When the playoffs begin the Bruins will have home-ice advantage throughout in pursuit of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship since 2011.

Nick Jensen and Tom Wilson scored for the Capitals. Charlie Lindgren had 33 saves, including a one-handed, gloveless save on Pastrnak early in the third period.

Wilson narrowed what had been a two-goal deficit to 3-2 in the third before Nosek found Hathaway cutting toward the net for his 13th goal.

The Bruins got their first power play of the game with 12:24 left in the second after Matt Irwin was called for a cross-check on Taylor Hall.

Less than a minute later Boston turned it into a 1-0 lead when David Pastrnak gathered a pass from Patrice Bergeron, immediately drew some defenders in the middle of the ice and flipped it to bottom of the right faceoff circle to Marchand, who finished off his 21st goal of the season. It was his first goal in 17 games after having last scored in a loss to Edmonton on March 9.

Boston was on the power play again after Tom Wilson was called for roughing Charlie McAvoy with just under seven minutes to play in the period.

The Bruins made it 2-0 when Bertuzzi found himself in perfect position to rebound a shot by Pastrnak and push through his eighth goal of the season.

Jensen trimmed the margin to a goal with 4:53 left in the period, when his wrist shot appeared to clip McAvoy and trickle by Ullmark for Jensen’s fifth goal of the year of the year.

NOTES: It was just Boston’s second time with two power play goals in a game this season. It also had two in a 7-3 win over Florida on Dec. 19. … Washington’s Jensen has now scored in a career-high five games. … Henrik Borgstrom was recalled from the AHL Hershey Bears Tuesday and became the first Finnish player to dress for the Capitals in 14 years. It last happened in Oskar Osala’s last game with the team on March 27, 2009.

UP NEXT

Capitals: Host New Jersey on Thursday night.

Bruins: At Montreal on Thursday night.

Hats rained down from the many Bruins fans in attendance after Pastrnak scored his third of the game early in the third period. The crowd chanted “We want the Cup!” in the final minutes, then showered players with cheers at the final horn of Boston’s 63rd victory, which snapped a tie with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins have won six in a row and reached 131 points, one back of the record held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens that has stood for nearly five decades, and with two games left against opponents well out of the playoff race. They’ll soon have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs in pursuit of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship since 2011.

Boston’s top two centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci were out, along with No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy, forward Taylor Hall, key trade deadline pickup Dmitry Orlov and All-Star goaltender Linus Ullmark.

Even with a lineup chock full of players from the AHL’s Providence Bruins, Boston relied on a familiar recipe to set the wins record. Beyond Pastrnak’s goals, Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha scored, Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves and the Bruins extended their streak of consecutive penalties killed to 38.

Much to first-year coach Jim Montgomery’s delight, they also kept up what he called their “signature calling” of closing out games. After allowing a goal to Owen Tippett midway through the third period, the Bruins locked things down as they have so many times before, improving to 46-1-2 when leading at the second intermission.

Pastrnak joined MVP favorite Connor McDavid as a 60-goal scorer, making this the first season with two players reaching that mark since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96.

Wade Allison and Joel Farabee also scored for the Flyers, who lost their seventh in a row late in another lost season. Felix Sandstrom made a few big stops among his 29 saves, but that wasn’t enough to slow down the Bruins in their pursuit of a spot in the record books.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Host Washington on Tuesday night.

Flyers: Host Columbus on Tuesday night.

___

Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Pastrnak blasted a shot from inside the left circle as the Bruins notched their 61st victory — one off the NHL season record set by Detroit in 1995-96 and matched by Tampa Bay in 2018-19.

“Got it by the defense and it ended up going into the net,” said Pastrnak, who still took the ice despite battling a stomach virus. “The guys did an amazing job and helped motivate me, too. I give thanks to them.”

“I can’t give him enough credit for how he willed himself to help us win this hockey game tonight,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said.

Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves for Boston, winners of four straight, and Charlie Coyle also scored. The Bruins are now 61-12-5 – good for 127 points with four games remaining in the regular season. The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens hold the regular-season record with 132 points

“That’s why this city is so special to play in front of. It was good preparation (in relation to the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs),” said Swayman.

Ilya Samsonov made 31 saves for Toronto, which led 1-0 heading into the third period on Sam Lafferty’s second-period goal.

“I thought our guys played incredibly hard. It took a bit to adjust to the opponent, but that’s a big point for us,” said Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe.

After outshooting Toronto, 11-7, in a scoreless first period, Boston saw the visitors break through with the first goal with 9:26 left in the second. A turnover near center ice resulted in Maple Leafs forward Zach Aston-Reese firing a shot from just inside the blue line. Lafferty beat Swayman for his 12th goal of the season.

Boston got the equalizer with 8:25 remaining in regulation. Brandon Carlo kept the possession alive in the Toronto zone before getting a pass under duress to Coyle, who beat Samsonov for his 14th of the campaign.

“I had a bunch of room to work with and that gave me time,” Coyle said. “Lucky that it found a way in.”

NOTES: Bruins C David Krejci missed his second straight game with a lower-body ailment. … Boston recalled F Oskar Steen from Providence on an emergency basis. The 25-year-old skated in his third NHL game of the season. … Maple Leafs D Jake McCabe appeared in his 500th career NHL game Thursday. Toronto acquired the 29-year-old in February from Chicago. … Bruins D Charlie McAvoy left Thursday’s game with Montgomery saying he was being held out “for precautionary reasons.” … The teams combined to go 0-for-7 on the power play.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host Montreal on Saturday night.

Bruins: Host New Jersey on Saturday night.

Linus Ullmark made 35 saves and stopped all three St. Louis shootout attempts to lead Boston to its third straight win.

Jake DeBrusk, Tyler Bertuzzi and Oskar Steen all scored in regulation for Boston.

Jordan Kyrou scored a pair of goals, and Torey Krug also scored for St. Louis.

Jordan Binnington made 28 saves for St. Louis which lost its second straight game.

Dmitry Orlov appeared to have scored the game-winner 2:24 into overtime, but after a quick review the goal was overturned as David Pastrnak was off-side entering the St. Louis zone.

Kyrou scored his second goal of the game and team-leading 36th of the season with 25 seconds remaining in regulation after Binnington was pulled for an extra attacker to tie the game 3-all.

Krug buried a rebound from Brandon Saad past Ullmark for his seventh goal of the season 9:47 into the third period to cut the Boston lead to 3-2.

Kyrou scored his first goal of the game with nine seconds remaining in the second period.

Bertuzzi scored his seventh goal of the season on a power play 7:18 into the second period and Steen added his first goal since Jan. 22, 2002, 44 seconds later to expand Boston’s lead to 3-0.

DeBrusk scored his 25th goal of the season when he tapped in his own rebound past Binnington 5:51 into the first period to give Boston an early 1-0 lead.

NOTES:

St. Louis recalled D Matthew Kessel from Springfield of the AHL under emergency conditions after D Marco Scandella sustained a lower-body injury on Saturday in Nashville. Kessel was selected by St. Louis in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft … C Robert Thomas (upper body), C Pavel Buchnevich (upper body) and D Robert Bortuzzo were scratched for St. Louis. … Boston needs three more wins in its five remaining games to break the NHL record of 62 wins in a season set by Tampa Bay in 2018-2019 and Detroit in 1995-1996

UP NEXT:

Boston: Hosts Toronto on Thursday night.

St. Louis: Hosts Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

The Bruins’ 59th win of the season moved them within three games of the NHL’s all-time victory mark set by Detroit in 1996 and tied by Tampa Bay in 2019. Boston has six games remaining.

Pastrnak’s three goals gave him 56 on the season and pushed him across the 100-point plateau for the first time in his nine-year career. Charlie McAvoy scored his seventh goal for the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman stopped 21 shots as Boston won for the ninth time in 10 games.

Bryan Rust scored twice for Pittsburgh, his first multigoal game since Feb. 1, 2022, against Washington. Jake Guentzel’s 35th of the season with 7:30 left in regulation tied the game. Jarry stopped 31 shots but couldn’t get a handle Pastrnak’s one-timer from the slot in the final minutes.

The Bruins wrapped up the fourth Presidents Trophy in franchise history with a victory over Columbus on Thursday and aren’t shying away from a shot at putting together the greatest regular season in NHL history.

Still, with home ice throughout the playoffs assured, Boston coach Jim Montgomery gave captain Patrice Bergeron the day off to deal with what Montgomery described as nagging injuries.

No matter. The machine rolled on.

Boston controlled play almost from the opening faceoff, the NHL’s second-oldest team looking decidedly fresher than the Penguins, the only club in the league older than the Bruins.

While Boston is already eyeing the postseason, Pittsburgh is in a tight battle with Florida for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jarry provided a needed jolt with his 13th career shutout in a victory over Nashville on Thursday in the type of intelligent game Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said his team needs to play regularly down the stretch if it wants to reach the postseason for the 17th straight time.

It didn’t happen against the Bruins. While Jarry was fine, Boston jumped on Pittsburgh’s mistakes. A Chad Ruhwedel roughing penalty for an unnecessary hit against David Krejci along the boards in the first period put the Bruins on the power play and McAvoy tapped in a pass from Pavel Zacha 6:20 into the first to put Boston in front.

Pittsburgh responded immediately, with Sidney Crosby doing most of the work while weaving through traffic before slipping the puck to Rust, who flicked it over Swayman just 1:13 after McAvoy’s goal.

The score did little to shift momentum. Evgeni Malkin tripped Boston’s Brad Marchand late in the first period, and Pastrnak converted on the power play early in the second to become the first Bruin to reach 100 points in a season since Marchand did it in 2019.

Pittsburgh, despite only intermittently pressuring Swayman, tied it 4:09 into the third with a little bit of help from McAvoy. Swayman stopped Rust’s wrist shot on the rush only to have McAvoy plow into him, jarring the puck loose and into the net.

Pastrnak’s 55th goal of the season 7:07 into the third put Boston in front yet again but Guentzel’s fifth goal in his last six games drew Pittsburgh even with 7:30 remaining.

Pastrnak, however, wasn’t done. His 56th goal moved him into a tie with Cam Neely for the second-most hat tricks in franchise history, behind only Hall of Famer Phil Esposito’s 26.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Visit St. Louis on Sunday.

Penguins: Welcome cross-state rival Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Hampus Lindholm sent a pass to Pastrnak for the backhand winner.

The Presidents’ Trophy goes to the NHL regular-season points leader. Boston broke a tie with the 1970-71 team for the franchise victory mark and moved four away from tying the NHL record of 62 set by Detroit in 1995-96 and matched by Tampa Bay in 2018-19.

Tyler Bertuzzi had a tying power-play goal in the second and Linus Ullmark made 25 saves to help the Bruins win for the eighth time in nine games.

Jack Roslovic scored for Columbus and Michael Hutchinson stopped 29 shots. The Blue Jackets have lost six of eight.

Boston tied it when Bertuzzi redirected Pavel Zacha’s pass between Hutchinson’s pads.

Roslovic tipped Liam Foudy’s pass just past Ullmark’s outstretched left skate at 8:08 of the first,

ONE PUNCH

Boston’s Trent Frederic sent Columbus’ Lane Pederson to the ice on the first punch when the pair squared off midway into the second period.

NOTES: Bruins F Jakub Lauko returned to the lineup after missing the last game with an upper-body injury. He also had his first career fight, squaring off against defenseman Billy Sweezey. … Pederson was given a major for high-sticking Bergeron, but it was reduced to a minor following a review. … Roslovic lost his balance and went into the boards at nearly full speed, appearing to hit his head before he got up and skated slowly to the bench. … Columbus killed a double minor for high-sticking by Kirill Marchenko in the second.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Host Florida on Saturday night.

Bruins: At Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Chasing the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot, the Predators won for just the third time in eight games. Former Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon added an empty-netter late in the third.

Boston, which matched its franchise record of 1970-71 with its 57th victory on Sunday, is five away from tying the league record of victories in a regular season with eight games left.

Boston’s David Pastrnak scored his 52nd with less than a second left in the game.

The Detroit Red Wings set the mark of 62 wins in 1995-96 and Tampa Bay matched it in 2018-19.

Linus Ullmark made 21 saves for Boston, which suffered only its fourth regulation loss at home (30-4-3).

There were very few scoring chances in the opening two periods before Glass collected the rebound of a blocked shot in the slot, spun and fired a wrister past Ullmark with 1:49 left in the period.

Saros made a body save on Hampus Lindholm’s backhand bid from just outside the crease with just under 13 minutes left in regulation and another on David Krejci with about six minutes left. The Bruins outshot the Predators 16-4 in the final period.

SUPPORT

Both the Predators and Bruins wore helmet stickers to show support for The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, after a shooting there Monday claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adult staffers.

The Bruins also held a moment of silence before the national anthem with the PA announcer saying: “The Bruins stand alongside the Nashville Predators in solidarity against gun violence and its support of the Nashville community.”

REST VS. RUST

Asked after the morning skate how the Bruins planned to rest players before the playoffs, coach Jim Montgomery said: “We do map it out. We talk to sports science. Obviously, (GM Don Sweeney) and I talk about it first. … We’re playing so many games right now players are not going to get rusty even if they only play two games a week.”

NOTES: Nick Foligno returned to practice Tuesday morning. “It’s great to have him out there,” Montgomery said. “He brings so much energy, positive energy.” … Boston forward Jakub Lauko was out with an upper-body injury that, Montgomery said, “shouldn’t keep him out long.” … Nashville defenseman Roman Josi missed his six straight with an upper-body injury and center Matt Duchene was also out due to an upper-body injury. … Boston won the other meeting this season, 5-0 in Nashville on Feb. 16.

UP NEXT

Predators: At Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Bruins: Host Columbus on Thursday.

Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk Scored in the shootout in a matchup of Eastern Conference division leaders.

Jakub Lauko also scored for the Bruins, who earned their 57th victory and are five wins shy of matching the all-time NHL record with nine regular-season games to play. Charlie McAvoy had two assists and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.

Jack Drury, Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes, who won three of their previous four games. Brett Pesce had two assists and Frederik Andersen stopped 35 shots.

Pastrnak’s 50th goal of the season came 4:43 into the game. He received pass from McAvoy and skated half the length of the ice on a breakaway to beat Andersen.

Drury, set up in the slot, scored his second goal of the season off a pass from Jalen Chatfield at 7:44 of the second.

Just 1:28 later, Pastrnak’s second goal came on a power play when he blasted a shot from the left side just inside the post. Lauko’s fourth goal extended the lead at 11:46 of the second.

Carolina pulled even at 3-3 when Skjei and Aho scored in the first four minutes of the third period.

CHECK THE LINEUPS

Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm and forwards Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand were scratches with what the team called nagging injuries. The trio has accounted for 57 goals this season.

Carolina’s only significant lineup adjustment came with center Paul Stastny in the lineup in place of Jesse Puljuharvi, who had played in eight straight games since making his debut with the Hurricanes. Puljuharvi arrived in a trade from Edmonton in late February.

NOTES: The Bruins won two of three meetings with the Hurricanes, securing the first victory in overtime. Carolina eliminated Boston in last spring’s playoffs in seven games. … The Hurricanes maintained their string of securing a point in seven games across different seasons while wearing green Hartford Whalers-inspired jerseys. The franchise began as the Whalers before relocation in 1997.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Host Nashville on Tuesday.

Hurricanes: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday. —

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Garnet Hathaway scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and the NHL-best Boston Bruins wrapped up first place in the Atlantic Division with their sixth straight victory, 2-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning, on Saturday.

The win was the Bruins’ 56th and moves them one behind the club record set in 1970-71. It also keeps them on pace to set the NHL record for victories in a regular season with 10 games left. The Detroit Red Wings won 62 in 1995-96 and Tampa Bay matched it in their final regular-season game (at TD Garden in Boston) in 2018-19.

“I forgot because things were happening so quickly,” Bruins first-year coach Jim Montgomery said when asked what he told his team about winning the division. “We didn’t actually talk about the Atlantic Division, but its a tremendous feat with 10 games left.”

Bergeron added a power-play goal for the Bruins and Linus Ullmark made 26 saves, raising his record to 36-5-1.

“Last game, you mean?” Bergeron said when asked about winning the division. Informed it had happened Saturday, he said: “Oh really.”

Victor Hedman had a shorthanded score for the Lightning and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots. Tampa Bay has lost four straight.

“I thought we played physical. I thought we played the way we want to play,” Hedman said. “That’s kind of the mindset we went in with and talked (about) before the game. I’m proud of the guys the way we battled today.”

Hathaway, positioned in front of the net, batted the rebound of Matt Grzelcyk’s shot from the left point out of the air and into the net before Vasilevskiy could control it with 2:28 left in the period.

Ullmark stopped Anthony Cirelli’s backhander on a partial breakaway with about seven minutes left.

With Lightning winger Pat Maroon in the penalty box with an unsportsmanlike conduct for something he did on the bench, Bergeron was credited with his 27th goal when Brad Marchand’s pass hit his skate before caroming into the net off Hedman’s skate 6:46 into the opening period.

Hedman beat Ullmark with a slap shot from the top of the left circle for his goal just under three minutes later.

EARLY DUSTUPS

Maroon and Hathaway had to be separated before the opening puck drop. It didn’t matter, they still dropped their gloves just nine seconds into the game. The scrum started when Tampa Bay center Ross Colton, who got a double minor for roughing, went after Boston center Jakub Lauko.

Asked if he thought the game would be physical at the start, Tampa Bay’s coach Jon Cooper said: “I did,” before ending his brief postgame news conference.

WELL DONE

The Bruins killed a two-man, power-play advantage midway into the second, holding the Lightning to one shot on goal — and then just one shot before the second penalty expired.

Tampa Bay was shorthanded five times in the opening period, holding the Bruins to one goal.

NOTES: Bruins forward A.J. Greer served a one-game suspension for crosschecking Montreal’s Mike Hoffman in the face in Thursday’s 4-2 victory over the Canadiens. … The Bruins came in with the league’s top penalty-killing unit (85.4%) while the Lightning owned the third-best power play (25.5%). … Boston forward David Pastrnak’s next goal will be the 290th of his career and move him ahead of Ken Hodge for eighth on the team’s all-time list.

UP NEXT

Lightning: At Carolina on Tuesday.

Bruins: At Carolina on Sunday.