Recap: Bruins beat Blackhawks, 3-1, on opening night

The Boston Bruins opened the 2023-24 regular season in style, complete with a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at the TD Garden.

David Pastrnak netted two goals in the win and Linus Ullmark made 20 saves in the win.

There was the pre-game celebration with a plethora of Bruin legends to some nostalgic in-game moments reminiscent of years past like Lucic’s assist on Pastrnak’s goal. And even rookie standout Matt Poitras registering his first NHL point.

While Head Coach Jim Montgomery said he felt the team didn’t play fast enough, the B’s did improve as the game went on.

Chicago scored first, despite some early looks from the Bruins’ fourth line and slot chances from Poitras.

The 19-year-old would help the Bruins even things up in the first period, driving an offensive-zone play with a heads-up pass to Brandon Carlo before Trent Frederic tipped in the equalizer.

David Pastrnak extended the Bruins’ lead as he and Lucic gave fans flashbacks in Lucic’s return back to Boston.

Pastrnak eventually potted an empty-net goal in the third period as the Bruins collected their first W of the season.

Here are the highlights!

First period:

The Blackhawks opened the scoring at 5:37 of the first period.

Connor Bedard wrapped the puck around the back of the net to sneak a shot past Linus Ullmark’s right skate. 1-0 Chicago.

The Bruins tied the game at 11:22 of the first period.

After a great play by Matt Poitras to keep control of the puck in the offensive zone, he sent a pass to Brandon Carlo who threw a wrist shot on net from the top of the right-wing circle which Trent Frederic tipped in past Arvid Soderblom. 1-1 tie game.

Second period:

The Bruins took the lead at 13:09 of the second period.

Milan Lucic backhanded a pass to from David Pastrnak who went top-shelf, glove side on Soderblom. 2-1 Bruins.

Third period:

Pastrnak netted his second goal of the night to solidify the Bruins’ win at 19:04 of the third period.

Brad Marchand sent a pass to Pastrnak for the empty-net goal. Final score: 3-1 Bruins.

Game notes

• It was a night of firsts for two rookies. Poitras got his first NHL point on the Bruins’ tying goal while Bedard picked up his first NHL goal.
• For the Bruins, Poitras and John Beecher each made their NHL debuts as well. Beecher stuck up for himself after delivering a big hit along the boards, dropping the gloves for his first fighting major.
• The Bruins’ power play definitely needs some fine-tuning. They went 0/3 on the man-advantage. Montgomery said the power play is always something that needs work, and not just because some valuable players are no longer with the team this year. He said they need to find their rhythm.
• On the other side, the penalty kill stopped all three attempts.
• The fourth line of Lucic, Beecher and Jakub Lauko had a lot of speed and energy tonight. Preseason gave some indication of the chemistry between the three linemates and they were flying out there tonight. The line carried plays into the offensive zone and sustained coverage. In the first few seconds of the game, which was likely a predication to the rest of the game, they nearly scored. The three drove to the net and complemented each other’s style.
• Montgomery switched up lines during the game. He said he wanted to see some different combinations and centering throughout the lineup.
• The Bruins are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 14 against the Nashville Predators at the TD Garden at 7 p.m. See you then!