Bergeron scores twice and Bruins beat Jets 6-2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Veteran Patrice Bergeron wanted the Boston Bruins to show some fight after a recent blowout loss. The assistant captain led by example on Thursday night.
Bergeron scored twice and got in his second career regular-season NHL fight to spark Bruins over the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 on Thursday night.
Bergeron scored 1:38 into the game and again while Boston blew things open in the third period. In between, he fought Blake Wheeler during the second period with his team holding a one-goal advantage. The 12th-year NHL veteran only had one other regular-season fight - against Buffalo's Tyler Myers in 2013. He also has two postseason fights, according to the team.
Boston was coming off a 9-2 home loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
''We talked about learning from that game and putting it in the past also and moving forward and that's all we can really do,'' said Bergeron, who snapped a five-game goal drought.
''I thought tonight was a great response.''
Brett Connolly had three assists, Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists and Loui Eriksson and Jimmy Hayes each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins. David Pastrnak also scored to help Boston win its fifth straight road game.
Bryan Little had a goal and an assist and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for Winnipeg. Wheeler had two assists.
Tuukka Rask made 34 saves for Boston. Connor Hellebuyck started in goal for Winnipeg, but was replaced by Michael Hutchinson after the first period.
Boston led 3-2 at the first intermission, and then the teams were scoreless in the second.
Pastrnak gave Boston a 4-2 lead 35 seconds into the third period when he put his own rebound past Hutchinson.
''That one in the third, at the start of the third, I think kind of killed us,'' Little said. ''It was a one-goal game going into the third. We were ready to come out, but that quick one, to get down by two at the start, I mean it's not easy.''
Bergeron put in a close rebound from Connolly at 7:42 of the final period for his second of the game. Hayes scored into an empty net.
Hellebuyck had stopped eight of the 11 shots he faced. Hutchinson finished with 25 saves on 27 shots.
''Sometimes enough's enough for a guy,'' Maurice said of his decision to pull Hellebuyck. ''To be great, you've to be real good and you've also got to have it going for you around the net.''
Bergeron ended a five-game goal drought when he scored his 20th of the season at 1:38 of the first period after making slick moves around two Jets defenders in front of the net.
Winnipeg responded with Little's goal at 3:29. Wheeler took a rebound and quickly passed it across the front of the net to a charging Little, and he shot the puck into a wide-open net for his 17th goal.
Eriksson regained the lead at 16:34 after Hayes forced a turnover, but Ehlers scored on the power play just under a minute later with Max Talbot in the penalty box for holding.
Marchand got his 26th goal of the season with a backhand shot to make it 3-2 at 18:45. He extended his point streak to five games, including six goals and one assist.
''I think we have a really good line right now that's connecting,'' Marchand said. ''(Bergeron) and (Connolly) have been playing great and all three goals our line was on for they won battles and competed hard and made really good plays. And I think I'm just benefiting from that.''
Winnipeg outshot the Bruins 18-11 in the first.
Boston didn't get its first shot on goal in the scoreless second period until just past the midway point of the period.
NOTES: The Jets led 30-25 in shots on goal after two periods, but Boston flipped to the 39-36 edge after the whistle blew. ... The Bruins play at Minnesota on Saturday, and the Jets play at Edmonton Saturday night.
