Boston Bruins left wing Anton Blidh (81) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center Oskar Steen (62) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
TAMPA, Fla. — David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand each scored twice, Linus Ullmark made 27 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Saturday night.
Anton Blidh had the other Boston goal, and Taylor Hall picked up two assists. The Bruins have won four of five in January.
Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots for the Lightning. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 homes games.
Pastrnak scored twice in the opening 6:10, giving him three goals in the last three games following a nine-game drought. His first goal from the blue line went off Tampa Bay defenseman Andrej Sustr at 1:11 before the right wing made it 2-0 with a low slot rebound after he kicked a loose puck to his stick.
Vasilevskiy made a pad save on Pastrnak’s slot shot midway through the second. Pastrnak finished with seven shots on goal.
Ullmark had four saves, including on good chances by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, during an early first period Tampa Bay power play. The Lightning could muster just one shot during a 47-second, 5-on-3 power play midway through the second.
After Marchand had a nifty re-direction 26 seconds into the second, Blidh made it 4-0 with 5:06 left in the period. Marchand added a late third-period empty-net goal.
Palat got his fourth goal in his last three games 24 seconds into the third.
Point cut the Lightning deficit to 4-2 at 11:20 of the third. He has six goals and 10 points in seven games since returning from an upper-body injury that sidelined him 14 games.
RASK RETURN
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said it hasn’t been ruled out that goalie Tuukka Rask could rejoin the team without playing games in the minor leagues.
Rask hasn’t played in the NHL since undergoing offseason labrum surgery on his hip.
NUMBERS
It was Pastrnak’s first multi-goal game of the season and 36th overall. … Hall has a five-game points streak (four assists, six points).
TRAINER’S ROOM
Bruins: Defenseman Charlie McAvoy took part in the morning skate but sat out his second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. … Left wing Nick Foligno left in the first period with a lower-body injury. He needed assistance to skate off the ice.
Lightning: Defenseman Ryan McDonagh was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. … Defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower body) missed his fifth consecutive game but has resumed practicing.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Wrap up a two-game trip Monday night in Washington before returning home for seven consecutive games.
Lightning: Play at New Jersey Monday night.
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