Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40) is showered with ice as he makes the save on a deflection by Tampa Bay Lightning center J.T. Miller (10) during the second period Saturday, March 17, 2018, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
TAMPA, Fla. — Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots to hand Tampa Bay its first shutout of the season and lifting the Boston Bruins over the Lightning 3-0 on Saturday night.
It was Rask’s third shutout of the season and 41st of his career. It was also the first time the Lightning failed to score a goal since a 4-0 loss at Boston on April 4, 2017 — also against Rask.
David Pastrnak, David Backes and Riley Nash all scored for Boston, which moved within two points of the Lightning for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand. Torey Krug assisted on all three of the Bruins’ goals.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots for the Lightning, whose last shutout at home came on March 16, 2017, by Toronto’s Frederik Andersen. Tampa Bay has lost consecutive games for the first time since going 9-0-1 in the previous 10 games.
The Bruins played the final two periods without Backes, who left following a scary incident late in the first period. As Backes tumbled to the ice and fell into the crease area, the back of Yanni Gourde’s skate appeared to make contact just below Backes’ right knee. Backes immediately grabbed his leg. As he was making his way to the Boston bench, blood appeared to seep through his pants as he was rushed back to the locker room.
The Bruins reported that Backes was resting after suffering a laceration on his knee that required several stiches.
Pastrnak opened the scoring with his 28th goal of the season, getting a step ahead of Mikhail Sergachev coming down the slot to take a pass from Krug and slip a backhander past Vasilevskiy 3:07 in to the game.
Backes scored his 12th off a rebound in front for the first of two Boston power-play goals on the night.
Nash increased the lead to 3-0 in the second period with his 14th of the season.
NOTES: Tampa Bay recalled G Louis Domingue from Syracuse of the American Hockey League before the game and he dressed as the backup. … Boston improved to 32-0-3 this season when holding a two-goal lead at any point in the game. … The Lightning have allowed five power-play goals in the past three games and at least one power-play goal in 11 of the past 12. … Boston D Zdeno Chara missed his second consecutive game with an unspecified upper-body injury.
UP NEXT
Lightning: Host Edmonton Oilers on Sunday
Bruins: Host Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday
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