Danton Heinen recorded his first career hat trick as the Boston Bruins cruised to a 9-4 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
The Bruins scored at least twice in each period, ending the night with a four-goal third to run their point streak to eight games (5-0-3).
Sixteen skaters recorded points in Boston’s first nine-goal effort since 2012.
David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk each added a goal and an assist, while Brandon Carlo and Pavel Zacha also lit the lamp.
Boston’s Linus Ullmark made 17 saves in his first start since Jan. 9. He had been out with a lower-body injury.
Cole Caufield, Joel Armia, Mike Matheson and Brendan Gallagher each scored, while Sean Monahan had three assists in Montreal’s second straight loss.
Sam Montembeault allowed eight goals on 30 shots before Cayden Primeau relieved him.
The teams were tied at 3 before Boston struck for two goals in 49 seconds to move in front. Heinen took a Jesper Boqvist pass up the right wing for a top-shelf snipe at 10:46 of the second, then Coyle’s one-handed tip-in goal at 11:35 made it 5-3.
The Canadiens pulled within 5-4 when Gallagher scored for the eighth time this season less than two minutes later.
Pastrnak gave Boston its two-goal cushion back 1:26 into the third, pouncing on his own rebound to reach the 30-goal mark for the seventh time in his career.
Marchand buried a one-time feed from Coyle for the Bruins’ seventh goal at 4:32.
DeBrusk curled around the net and fed the puck to Zacha for a tap-in at 9:13, and Morgan Geekie set up Heinen to close the scoring at 10:40.
Caufield scored on the power play at 9:18 of the first to open the scoring. Carlo tied things at 12:47.
Armia put the Canadiens back in front when Joshua Roy set him up to finish high off the rush at the 15-minute mark.
DeBrusk made it 2-2 with 1:50 left in the first, driving to the post after James van Riemsdyk won a wall battle.
Matt Grzelcyk’s point shot was deflected into the net off Heinen’s skate to put Boston ahead only 55 seconds later.
Montreal’s power play struck again to tie the game 6:16 into the second. Monahan dropped a pass back to Matheson for a one-timer from just outside the right circle.
–Field Level Media
