NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Even when they don’t play their best, the Boston Bruins are still getting it done on the road.
Adam McQuaid got his first goal of the season with 8:05 to play, and the Bruins extended their road point-scoring streak to 13 games with a 5-3 victory over the slumping New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
“We’re trying to dictate the play early,” said Boston defenseman Torey Krug, who scored twice. “Don’t let the other team use their home-ice advantage, just make sure we’re skating and going and have them react to us. I think every game we’ve given ourselves a chance to win the game going into the third period. We were ugly the first two, but got the job done in the third.”
Boston is 11-0-2 in its current road run and 16-5-4 away from TD Garden overall.
Tim Schaller also scored a goal that the Devils were not convinced crossed the goal line despite a review, and Patrice Bergeron added an empty-netter as the Bruins improved to 19-2-4 in their last 25 games. Boston also killed off all seven New Jersey power plays, scored an extra-man goal and got two short-handed in sweeping the three-game season series.
“We’re getting production up and down the lineup,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “If they shut down our top guys then someone else contributes. That’s a hallmark of our group, they like to pick each other up and know they don’t have to be the best player every night.”
Backup goalie Anton Khudobin stopped a first-period penalty shot and finished with 35 saves as Boston avoided consecutive losses in regulation for what would have been the third time this season.
Miles Wood, Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri scored for the Devils, who have lost four straight and eight of 11. Eddie Lack, who was acquired in a trade with Calgary in late December, made 22 saves in his first start for New Jersey.
“Our power play was the difference tonight,” Hall said. “They got one and we gave up a couple on the other end. Like I said, it was one of those nights. We were trying. The effort was there, 5 on 5, I thought we had them for sure. Our power play could not execute.”
McQuaid, who returned to the lineup on Jan. 17 after missing 36 games with a broken right leg, snapped a 3-all tie with a shot from the right point that deflected off the stick of Devils forward Drew Stafford and bounced past Lack.
“He battles so hard for us, does little things, blocks shots, and make hits,” Krug said of McQuaid. “For him to get that one and play with confidence was great. It’s nice to see him get rewarded.”
It was the first game between the teams since Brad Marchand was suspended for five games for elbowing New Jersey’s Marcus Johansson in the head in Boston on Jan. 23. Marchand was booed every time he touched the puck.
There was a scrum after Bergeron scored with 39 seconds to play. Marchand was knocked down by Damon Severson before the goal.
Boston took leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in the first two periods. The Devils responded every time, with Palmieri tying it at 3 by beating Khudobin in close after taking a nice pass from Hall.
The Bruins’ first two goals were a little bizarre. Krug got his first when Nico Hischier tried to clear a puck in the crease and slid it under Lack, who was playing in his sixth NHL game this season.
Wood came out of the penalty box and tied the game with a breakaway goal at 16:32, but Schaller got the lead back for Boston with a stuff at the corner of the net with three seconds left after Hall could not handle a Lack pass.
Hall made up for the mistake 31 seconds into the second period after Hischier intercepted a Marchand pass.
Krug got his 10th of the season with a point shot three seconds after Stafford was called for elbowing.
NOTES: Bruins RW Noel Acciari returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. … Devils D John Moore was a healthy scratch after playing in the opening 54 games. … Bruins C Ryan Spooner got his 100th career assist on Krug’s second goal. … Boston is 16-5-4 on the road this season and 23-5-6 against Eastern Conference teams.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Host Calgary on Tuesday.
Devils: At Philadelphia on Tuesday.

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