Coming off back-to-back 4-1 losses with multiple concerns, the Boston Bruins appeared to have taken advantage of a couple of days off after a home loss on Monday night to the Ottawa Senators. Head coach Marco Sturm and his staff made multiple changes that paid off.
Line changes, power play adjustments, and just sound overall structured hockey all led to a 6-0 win over the talented Utah Mammoth at the TD Garden on Thursday night. Here are three takeaways after the Black and Gold improved to 3-2-0 early in the 2026-27 season.
Not one, not two, but three Bruins power-play goals?
One talking point through the first four games of the season has been the struggling Boston power play. They went 0-for-10 against the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Senators. It was a tough watch in terms of execution. Some changes were made over the last couple of days, and they paid off.
It was a successful night on the power play for several reasons. The first power-play goal was scored by David Pastrnak for his first goal of the season in the opening period. In the second period, Pastrnak scored his second goal on the man advantage on the Bruins' second opportunity. Morgan Geekie potted his first goal later in the second on the power play as the Black and Gold were a perfect 3-for-3 through 40 minutes.
Bruins remain addicted to the penalty box
As well as the power play was, the penalty kill needed to be even better thanks to another night of a parade to the penalty box by Boston. They were whistled for five minor penalties in the middle period alone. Still, despite all of those penalties, they still managed to tack on three goals on the scoreboard.
Will Borgen was whistled for three straight penalties in the second period himself, but his teammates were able to successfully kill all the chances for Utah, which has a very good power play unit. That was on display in the first period when Jeremy Swayman had to make two point-blank saves at the end of the Mammoths' first chance. Marco Sturm won't be happy with the number of minors his team took in a win.
Matthew Poitras joins the list of first-time goal scorers
This was a night when the Black and Gold had some key players find the back of the net for the first time, and they were some important goals, despite the score getting out of hand. Pastrnak and Geekie got their first goals on the power play, and Matthew Poitras got his first strike at even strength in the second period.
Poitras and Pastrnak got lost on a line change at center ice and broke in 2-on-1. Pastrnak laid a perfect pass to Poitras, and the Bruins 2022 second-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft ripped a wrist shot home for a 6-0 lead. All of these goals were big ones for multiple reasons.
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