Rask, Bruins blank Devils 3-0 in home opener
BOSTON (AP) — Tuukka Rask stopped 31 shots in his 46th career shutout, leading the Boston Bruins to a 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils to win their home opener on Saturday night.
Brad Marchand, Joakim Nordstrom and Patrice Bergeron all scored in the Bruins’ first game on home ice since losing 4-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues in June. Boston won its first three road games this season before a 4-2 loss at Colorado on Thursday night.
Cory Schneider stopped 29 shots for the Devils, who are 0-3-2.
Boston took a 2-0 lead after one period with a pair of goals in the first 12 minutes.
Marchand put the Bruins on the scoreboard 3:33 in when he skated to the high slot and fired a wrist shot to beat a screened Schneider.
Nordstrom doubled the lead with 8:38 left in the period. Sean Kuraly corralled a rebound in the slot and backhanded the puck to Chris Wagner, whose pass in front of the crease was finished off by Nordstrom.
Bergeron made it 3-0 on a power-play goal with 46 seconds left in the second period, poking in a rebound of Marchand’s shot from the right circle.
Rask turned away a handful of Devils’ scoring chances during a second period mostly controlled by the visitors with a 16-9 shots advantage. He also stymied New Jersey in the third to pick up his first shutout of the season.
NOTES: Marchand recorded his 300th NHL assist on Bergeron’s goal. … Former Bruins D Ted Green died Tuesday at age 79, the team announced Saturday. Green, nicknamed “Terrible Ted,” spent his first 11 NHL seasons with Boston and helped the team to Stanley Cup titles in 1970 and 1972. … Devils D Andy Greene (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Friday. New Jersey coach John Hynes said he would have a better idea about Greene’s status on Sunday. D Matt Tennyson was recalled from Binghamton of the AHL. … Longtime Bruins public address announcer Jim Martin, who worked his final game Saturday after a 26-year tenure, was honored on the video screen and given a standing ovation during a first-period stoppage.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host Florida on Monday.
Bruins: Host Anaheim on Monday.
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