Rough start leads to Bruins victory over Red Wings, 6-1
BOSTON (AP) -- David Krejci scored twice and Drew Stafford had his first with Boston during a four-goal first period that carried the Bruins to a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
Brad Marchand had his team-leading 31st and 32nd goals, and David Pastrnak added a score for Boston, and Tuukka Rask made 26 saves. Boston improved to 9-3 since interim coach Bruce Cassidy replaced fired coach Claude Julien on Feb. 7.
Niklas Kronwall had his first goal of the season for Detroit. The Red Wings finished a five-game trip 1-3-1.
Detroit starting goalie Jared Coreau was pulled after giving up three goals during a 2:25 span in what's likely his last game with the team before he's shipped back to the minors.
Jimmy Howard, a regular goalie with the Red Wings the past eight seasons, finished his second two-game conditioning stint with Grand Rapids of the AHL on Tuesday. He's scheduled to join the team this week.
Krejci gave Boston a 1-0 lead 11:07 into the game when he skated around defenseman Danny DeKeyser and slipped a wrist shot by Coreau's glove.
Marchand skated quickly to a loose puck just inside the blue line and broke in alone before firing a shot inside the left post, making it 2-0 just 1:01 later.
Stafford, acquired for a conditional sixth-round pick from Winnipeg at the trade deadline, made it 3-0 at 13:32. Krejci stole the puck from defenseman Dylan Larkin in the slot and beat goalie Petr Mrazek with 14.9 seconds left. Marchand scored on a clean breakaway late in the second period.
NOTES: The 32-year-old Howard has been out since spraining his right knee on Dec. 20. Before the injury, he had a .934 save percentage and a 1.96 goals against average in 17 games. ... It was Krejci's first two-goal and three-point game of the season. ... Bruins center Tim Schaller went hard - skates first - into the backboards and left the ice favoring his right leg in the first. He didn't return. ... Boston forward Ryan Spooner was out with a concussion sustained in Monday's loss at Ottawa. Jimmy Hayes took his spot after being a healthy scratch the previous two games. ... Henrik Zetterberg's next goal will be the 324th of his career, moving him into a tie for sixth with Ted Lindsay on Detroit's career list. ... The Bruins are 10-1-1 in their last 12 against Detroit.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Host Chicago on Friday.
Bruins: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.
