BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins (24-19-2) thoroughly routed the New York Rangers 10-2 (20-20-6) on Saturday afternoon inside TD Garden.
Rare is it that a team wins in every single facet of a game, but that's exactly what happened today in Boston. The Bruins dominated.
Pavel Zacha AND Marat Khusnutdinov scored their first career hat-tricks. Fraser Minten scored twice. Khusnutdinov finished with four goals by the time this one ended.
Perhaps most impressive of all, David Pastrnak had six assists, matching the franchise record for the most in one game (Bobby Orr, Ken Hodge). Five of his assists were primary.
Now, it's worth noting that Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin, unquestionably New York's two best players, are both out injured and did not play today. Even so, their level and lack of compete astounds the mind.
Quite frankly, the Bruins beat them down into submission using brute physicality, with Boston's forecheck wreaking havoc at all times.
Jeremy Swayman started in goal and played well enough when called upon, making 27 saves. As for the Rangers, the Bruins chased starter Jonathan Quick after he allowed six goals on 20 shots. Spencer Martin appeared in relief, allowing four more goals.
First Period:
Shockingly, the only thing that didn't go Boston's way was the beginning of the game. The Rangers scored just 1:24 into the game, a Mika Zibanejad one-timer, born out of a Boston lapse in defensive coverage.
After getting hit in the mouth, Boston stood up and proceeded to ground the Rangers into dust. It took all of 67 seconds for an equalizer, one that became Khusnutdinov's first of the game.
On the goal, Khusnutdinov takes Brayden Schneider out to lunch, shrugging off the defender and blowing by with speed. Then, a nifty wrister gave Quick no chance.
Less than five minutes later, Zacha scored his first of the game.
Zacha's little head fake sent Will Borgen to the ice, sliding away. With the added time, Zacha stepped and sniped it home.
Boston stockpiled pressure, but couldn't find a third goal. They even received an extended 5-on-3 power play with 1:12 to go in the period, but both Zacha and Morgan Geekie were robbed, and the period came to an end.
Except that's not what happened. As the teams went all the way down the tunnel to their rooms, the league reviewed Zacha's chance.
Turns out, Zacha's rebound bid fully crossed the line, and the Bruins led 3-1.
The Bruins outshot New York 14-6 in the first period, further solidifying the beatdown.
Second Period:
When the second period began, the Bruins announced Morgan Geekie's departure from the game due to a family matter.
The Bruins would need to play the rest of the game shorthanded with 11 forwards. Only leading 3-1, it felt like the game could still become close.
Fraser Minten began the charge to ensure it wouldn't get close.
2:12 into the second period, Minten stayed red-hot with this howitzer of a one-timer from point-blank range. Great heads-up assist from Arvidsson, too.
Just over four minutes later, Khusnutdinov scored his second.
Just a gorgeous passing exchange between Pastrnak and Khusnutdinov, one that gave Quick no chance. It began, as most of Boston's goals today did, with a heavy forecheck that caused a turnover. This clip shows Elias Lindholm getting in hard and fast, forcing the turnover.
It became the theme of the game. The Rangers could not and were not able to match Boston's intensity level in any facet of the game.
Roughly five minutes later, Zacha finished off his hat trick.
You'll once again notice the forecheck and Rangers turnover at the beginning of this clip. Once that happened, Mittelstadt found Zacha, who wired it home.
The goal ended Quick's night, though it's hard to fault him for what went on inside TD Garden this afternoon.
As the puck dropped after the goal, Mark Kastelic dropped the mitts with Sam Carrick and pounded the Ranger. Kastelic did, however, throw a particularly late punch that drew him an extra 10-minute misconduct.
Boston thus had to skate the next 15 minutes of game time with just 10 forwards.
Soon after, Mason Lohrei took a puck-over-glass penalty, leading to a JT Miller power play goal.
But, as Boston decided pregame, the Rangers simply were not allowed to have any nice things today. Less than two minutes after Miller's goal to make it 6-2, Pastrnak set up another goal.
Charlie McAvoy buried it for his second of the season, a goal that put up the extra point in Boston's early blitz.
As the second period came to an end, the crowd went bananas, saluting their squad.
Third Period:
The only other piece of bad news from today came here. Elias Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury and would not finish the game.
Despite the setback, Boston kept the party going. Khusnutdinov polished off his first career hat trick with a nifty deflection.
By now, you'd be remiss if you'd think Boston would just be done. Despite New York drawing Boston into some rough stuff, the Bs weren't done scoring.
Minten was hungry for more, and Pastrnak sauced him one right in the wheelhouse.
The crowd began chanting "We Want 10!" The DJ played "Shipping Up To Boston." It was a complete party. Sean Kuraly fought and toppled Will Cuylle.
Khusnutdinov then scored his fourth of the game and Boston's 10th goal. The goal itself was another nifty redirection. The building went into a total frenzy, with double digits on the board.
On national television, the Bruins made a loud and clear statement, beating the Rangers into submission. By the time it was over, Boston salted the earth.
Boston once again plays tomorrow evening in TD Garden. The Pittsburgh Penguins come to town, with puck drop coming just after 5 o'clock.