Patrice Bergeron scored three times, reaching 400 goals in his NHL career. David Pastrnak scored his 40 of the season, snapping a 0-for-39 slump on Boston’s power play. And Linus Ullmark recorded his first shutout as a Bruin.
“It’s a very happy room there. Even Frank Sinatra playing, if you can believe it,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after his team beat the Buffalo Sabers 5-0 on Thursday night. “Lots of positives.”
Bergeron recorded his eighth career 3-pointer and Pastrnak scored Boston’s first power play goal in nearly four weeks as the Bruins finished the regular season at home. Ullmark made 37 saves against his former team for his first shutout of the season as he tries to earn the No. 1 goalkeeper spot for the playoffs.
“I’m focused on what’s to come,” said the goalie, who shared the traditional postgame hug with rookie Jeremy Swayman as fans cheered. “The regular season means nothing. We’re headed to the playoffs.”
It was already 4-0 up when Bergeron picked up a Charlie McAvoy pass up the middle and slammed it into the net with 2:13 remaining. Hats flew off the glass and the Bruins hugged their captain, jumping up and down on their skates.
It was the 100th triplet in the NHL this season. Bergeron is the fourth Bruin to score 400 goals, joining Johnny Bucyk (545), Phil Esposito (459) and Rick Middleton (402).
“It’s special, and one of the things that’s special is that I scored, it’s been a great journey with an organization. It is something that does not happen often. I’m proud of that,” Bergeron said. “Sharing that with them and having that reaction was great, it was special and it was very much appreciated.”
Bergeron and Mark Messier are the only players to complete a hat-trick with their 400th goal, according to STATS.
Dustin Tokarski stopped 27 shots for the Sabers, who will miss the playoffs for the 11th straight season.
The Bruins failed to convert on their first three power plays Thursday, making it 39 in a row since April 2 after Pastrnak hit the top corner in the second period. They then scored twice in a row, with Pastrnak reaching the 40-goal mark for the second time; only Phil Esposito (7), Rick Middleton (5), Cam Neely (4) and Ken Hodge (3) have more 40-goal seasons with the Bruins.
Taylor Hall made it 4-0 after the delay of game penalty imposed on the Sabers for unsuccessfully challenging Pastrnak’s goal.
“We didn’t need the goals, but we don’t need to be talking about it forever, so it’s nice to get them,” Cassidy said. “You could feel it was happening. So it was going to come sooner or later.”
After a scoreless first period, the Bruins broke through six minutes into the second following a flurry in front of the net that ended with the puck landing in front of Bergeron in the slot. With Tokarski on his back and out of position, the Bruins captain easily put the puck into the net.
Bergeron made it 2-0 six minutes later when Jake DeBrusk popped the puck behind the net and slid it into the slot. The Sabers challenged, saying that Boston had gone offside long before the goal; the move was confirmed.
The Bruins again failed to score in the power play that followed. Pastrnak ended the losing streak two minutes into the third period when cleaned up the bounce off Hall’s shot. Hall made it 4-0 two minutes later when Tokarski left another rebound up front.
7th MAN
Goalie Jeremy Swayman won the Bruins’ 7th Player Award, which was presented before the game.
The 23-year-old Swayman has a 20-11-3 record and posted a 2.34 goal average this season while competing for the No. 1 spot with Ullmark. He leads all GAA rookies in save percentage (.915), wins and shutouts (3).
Ullmark, who went 25-10-2 with a 2.51 GAA, appears to have earned the start, at least in Game 1 of the playoffs. It would be his postseason debut; Swayman appeared in a Tuukka Rask relay game last year.
Cassidy said Thursday that he was not against using both.
“It’s going to be a decision on the spur of the moment, I guess, that’s the easiest way to put it,” he said. “It could go one way or the other, to be perfectly honest.”
LOVING FAREWELLS
The Bruins have bid farewell to head athletic coach Don DelNegro, who is retiring after 29 years with the team. There was a compilation of good luck videos shown on the scoreboard, and another video showed players giving him a golf cart as a retirement gift.
After the game, the team posed for a photo with DelNegro on center ice and then walked through the players to the bench. Later, in the dressing room, the team sent him off with “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Sabers: Host the Blackhawks on Friday night in their 2022-23 finale.
Bruins: The regular season ends in Toronto on Friday night.
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