Bruins score early, hold off Canadiens

Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrnak each recorded a goal and an assist as the Boston Bruins beat the visiting Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Thursday night.

Bertuzzi scored his first goal as a Bruin just 4:34 into the first period, while David Pastrnak's 49th of the season came at 2:36 of the second.

Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci rounded out the scoring and Connor Clifton had two assists for Boston (55-11-5, 115 points), which tallied two goals in the first period and one in both the second and third on the way to a fifth consecutive win.

After pitching shutouts in his previous two starts, Jeremy Swayman stopped 29 shots for the Bruins.

Montreal cut 2-0 and 3-1 deficits down to one shortly before the first two intermissions, but Krejci followed up Clifton's point shot and slipped in a backhander from outside the crease to give the hosts insurance for good with 7:44 left in regulation.

Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach each logged a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (28-38-6, 62 points), who have lost three of their last five games.

Jake Allen made 17 saves.

Montreal had a 31-21 shots advantage and went 2-for-5 on the power play.

Bertuzzi tallied his first goal as a Bruin in fortuitous fashion to open the scoring, slipping the puck from behind the end line, off a Montreal defender and past Allen.

Just after Montreal's Justin Barron hit the right post with his point shot, DeBrusk split two defenders and buried a breakaway goal to double the Boston lead at 13:38.

Suzuki made it 2-1 with 18.3 seconds before intermission, scoring his career-high 22nd goal of the season on a one-timer from the left circle.

The first Montreal goal was scored during a major power play that was assessed after Boston's A.J. Greer cross-checked Mike Hoffman in the face less than three minutes earlier.

An important swing came early in the second. After Swayman made a point-blank save on Rafael Harvey-Pinard, the Bruins took a two-goal lead again when Pastrnak slotted home a shot from the left circle at 2:36.

With his next goal, Pastrnak will become the first 50-goal scorer for the Bruins since current team president Cam Neely in 1993-94.

Dach's power-play goal with 3:47 left in the middle frame brought Montreal back within 3-2. Boston College product Mike Matheson let the puck go from the high slot to the left post, where Dach sent a clean redirect past Swayman.

--Field Level Media

1/3: Mar 23, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) passes the puck during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

2/3: Mar 23, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) scores a goal during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

3/3: Mar 23, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) passes the puck during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports