Three Goals in 75 Seconds: Swayman Shutout Lifts Bruins Past Rangers in Pastrnak's Captain Debut
BOSTON | Final: Boston 3, New York Rangers 0
For 56 minutes, Jeremy Swayman and Igor Shesterkin turned TD Garden into a goaltending clinic. Then the Boston Bruins needed just 75 seconds to end it. Fraser Minten broke a scoreless tie with 3:46 left, JJ Peterka scored a highlight-reel goal in his Bruins debut 52 seconds later, and Mark Kastelic sealed it into an empty net as Boston beat the New York Rangers 3-0 in David Pastrnak's first game as captain.
Swayman stopped all 24 shots for his 19th career shutout, and the win extended Boston's streak of home-opener victories to 11 straight, matching the NHL record.
How It Happened
A captain's welcome. Pastrnak received a huge ovation as he was introduced as the 28th captain in Bruins history, the first to wear the "C" since Boston went without one last season. He nearly delivered an early highlight, but lost control of the puck in the middle of a first-period breakaway.
Two goalies at their best. The first period ended 0-0 with Boston holding a 7-5 shot edge. In the second, the Bruins had their best chances: Morgan Geekie rang the left post, and Shesterkin denied Pavel Zacha on a breakaway before turning aside Minten and Pastrnak in transition. At the other end, Swayman stopped Oliver Bjorkstrand on a 2-on-1 and later robbed Pavel Dorofeyev on a breakaway.
Swayman holds the fort. The Rangers came out flying in the third, and Swayman made 10 saves in the period, including a Mika Zibanejad one-timer off an offensive-zone draw and a J.T. Miller rebound attempt.
The 75-second burst. At 16:14 of the third, Minten collected a Mason Lohrei pass off a neutral-zone takeaway and ripped a shot from the slot past Shesterkin. At 17:06, Peterka took a feed from Elias Lindholm, deked around Braden Schneider and slid the puck five-hole. At 17:29, Kastelic finished it into the empty net, with Minten picking up the assist.
Standout Performers
Jeremy Swayman, BOS: 24 saves, 19th career shutout, first star of the night.
Fraser Minten, BOS: Game-winning goal and an assist, the only Bruin with multiple points. A dream start after signing a seven-year extension.
JJ Peterka, BOS: Boston's top offseason addition scored a beauty in his first game in black and gold.
Nikita Zadorov, BOS: Eight hits on a night the Bruins played a heavy, disciplined game.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR: 20 saves and the only reason the Rangers were in it for 56 minutes.
The Struggles
Rangers giveaways. New York turned the puck over 20 times to Boston's 10. Shesterkin bailed his team out of eight giveaways in the first period alone, and the game-winning goal started with a neutral-zone takeaway.
No finish up front. The Rangers had chances, including the Dorofeyev breakaway and the Bjorkstrand 2-on-1, but Bjorkstrand's four shots and Zibanejad's and Miller's two each did not produce a goal. For a team that made major offseason changes, the offense looked disconnected.
Boston's stars were quiet too. Pastrnak, Geekie and Zacha did not score, and the Bruins were playing without Charlie McAvoy, who began serving a six-game suspension for slashing Buffalo's Zach Benson in last spring's playoffs. That makes the depth scoring even more encouraging.
What It Means
For Boston: After a first-round loss to Buffalo in Marco Sturm's first season, this was the kind of win that builds belief. The Bruins got elite goaltending, a physical 36-hit effort and goals from their young core. If Minten and Peterka can keep supplying secondary scoring, this team becomes much harder to play against.
For New York: The effort was there and Shesterkin was excellent, but the Rangers must clean up their puck management fast. They play again Thursday, and a loose, 20-giveaway game will not beat many teams.
Up Next
New York Rangers: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Thursday, Oct. 1
Boston: at Winnipeg Jets, Friday, Oct. 2
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