Pavel Zacha absolutely went off for two goals on Thursday night, leading the Boston Bruins to a massive 6-2 win over a Pittsburgh Penguins team that just can’t catch a break. It was a complete beatdown, and it really highlighted where these two teams are heading early in the season.
Bruins’ Offense Explodes, Geekie Stays Hot
Zacha didn’t just score, he put on a clinic, bagging both his goals on slick 2-on-1 plays. But he wasn’t alone. Morgan Geekie kept his hot streak alive, lighting the lamp for his third straight game and even adding an assist. His goal came after a partial breakaway, thanks to a seriously sloppy Pittsburgh line change. Elias Lindholm found the back of the net too, capitalizing on an Erik Karlsson turnover right in his own zone. Mark Kastelic and Fraser Minten, who also notched his goal on a 2-on-1, rounded out the scoring for Boston. And get this, Justin Brazeau, only in his second game back from a training camp injury, snagged his first goal of the season. David Pastrnak and JJ Peterka each dished out two assists, showing just how much firepower the Bruins had going.
Pittsburgh’s Defensive Nightmare and Crosby’s Silence
On the flip side, Pittsburgh’s defense looked lost, plain and simple. Arturs Silovs faced 24 shots, making 18 saves, but the Bruins just kept coming. Even captain Sidney Crosby, one of the all-time greats, couldn’t get anything going, going pointless on the night. That means he’s still tied with Marcel Dionne for sixth on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,771 points, but man, you know he wanted to move past that. Erik Karlsson had a night to forget, finishing a miserable minus-4 and giving up that crucial turnover that led to Lindholm’s goal. Nick Robertson did manage to score for the Penguins, but it was just a tiny blip in a tough night. This team has now dropped four straight games, and eight of their last ten overall. That’s a rough stretch, no doubt.
Boston’s Momentum Is Real
This victory wasn’t just a one-off for Boston, either. They’ve now reeled off three straight wins and are looking seriously dangerous, grabbing points in 10 of their last 13 games. Michael DiPietro was solid in net, stopping 16 shots and helping the Bruins snap a three-game road losing streak. Plus, they’ve now got points in their last seven trips to Pittsburgh, going all the way back to November 1, 2022. They came out flying, leading 3-1 after the first period and pushing it to 5-2 through 40 minutes. This team is clearly finding its groove.
What’s next for these squads? The Bruins are heading home to open up a four-game homestand on Sunday against Florida, and with 10 of their next 11 games at home, they’ve got a golden opportunity to really build on this momentum. For the Penguins, it’s a completely different story. They’re kicking off a three-game West Coast swing Saturday at Los Angeles. They need to figure things out, and fast, before this slide turns into a full-blown crisis.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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