BOSTON (AP) — After a rough couple of seasons, Jaroslav Halak is at the top of his game again.
Halak stopped 37 shots to help the Boston Bruins to a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night.
“We’ve seen it from Day 1,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of Halak, who signed with the Bruins in July after four seasons with the New York Islanders. “I couldn’t sit here and tell you that he would be leading the league in goals-against or save percentage, but the guys are just confident in front of him.”
Halak had to play back-to-back games this weekend with Tuukka Rask on personal leave from the team and won both while allowing only two goals.
“I had a good sleep last night,” Halak said. “It’s different when you play at home and you can sleep in your own bed.”
Halak was the odd man out for the New York Islanders two years ago and spent 27 games in the minors before being called back up at the end of the season. After two subpar seasons, he is in the top three in goals against and save percentage and has only one regulation loss.
David Pastrnak scored again, and Danton Heinen, Jeremy Lauzon and Brad Marchand also had goals as Boston won for the fourth time in six games. Halak has won all three starts against the Golden Knights while allowing a total of five goals.
Cody Eakin scored for Vegas and Malcolm Subban finished with 33 saves. The Golden Knights lost for the third time in four games on their road trip.
“It’s tough, we got into penalty trouble there with all those 5-on-3’s,” Subban said. “We didn’t get the results we wanted.”
One day after his second hat trick of the season, Pastrnak scored on the power play for his league-leading 16th goal to cap the scoring with 3:52 left.
The Bruins had seven power plays, including three two-man advantages.
“I thought we played a couple of good games on this road trip, but tonight wasn’t one of them,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said.
Heinen scored on a tip 2:54 into the game and Lauzon got the first of his career into an empty net as he took advantage of Subban’s misplay off the end boards with 2:09 left in the opening period.
Marchand made it 3-0 just as a Bruins power play ended when he flipped the puck past Subban from his knees at the top of the crease 58 seconds into the second.
Eakin converted a pass from Alex Tuch with 9:05 remaining in the middle period to get Vegas on the scoreboard.
NOTES: Bruins D Brandon Carlo missed the game with an upper body injury. . Vegas F Max Pacioretty was held off the scoresheet and has one goal in his last 11 games. . Bruins D Zdeno Chara has failed to record a point in 13 of the last 14 games. . Vegas has now dropped eight of 11 on the road.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: Host Anaheim on Wednesday night.
Bruins: At Colorado on Wednesday night to open a four-game road trip.
Boston Bruins’ Jaroslav Halak (41) smothers the puck as Vegas Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves (75) looks for a shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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