The Boston Bruins (23-19-2) hadn't played a home game in 16 days, an exceptionally long stretch that usually leads to a slow start once back home.
Not tonight, not for these Bruins. They completely blitzed the Calgary Flames (18-22-4) early, killing the game off early. A hot start was the key, as Calgary played (and lost) last night in Montreal.
Joonas Korpisalo made just his third start since December 11, and his first appearance in 12 days. Korpisalo showed zero signs of rust, turning aside all but one shot he saw, including a ferocious second-period charge from the Flames.
Korpisalo finished with 28 saves in the win. Dustin Wolf, meanwhile, allowed four goals on 30 shots in defeat.
The game began with Boston immediately grabbing hold of the game, out-skating and outworking Calgary for the entire first period.
Just before the halfway mark of the period, Sean Kuraly got the party started for the Bruins.
It's another example of Tanner Jeannot expertly using his body to drive traffic. Jeannot shields the puck as he carried in, drew in two defenders, and then banked a pass off the boards behind to Kuraly.
Kuraly had time and space, so he picked his spot and sniped it right past Wolf, finishing things off with a classic Kura-leap.
Just 2:18 later, Elias Lindholm doubled the advantage.
Goals don't often come prettier than this one. Nothing but exemplary passing here. It again begins with the lead forward driving into the zone, in this example, it's Marat Khusnutdinov. He drives in, then drops to David Pastrnak.
Pastrnak doesn't hesitate, smacking the puck right to Lindholm, who fired home the one-timer, polishing off the passing play.
With how well the Bruins have played when they have the lead, it's not far-fetched to say this was the game.
By the time the first period ended, it felt as if it could've been 3 or 4-0 Boston, but instead it remained just 2-0. Shots finished 13-7 Boston in this frame.
Then came the second period.
Calgary turned up the heat, but Korpisalo stayed on his game. Throughout the second period, Calgary kept trying to force their way into the game, but it just wasn't happening.
At 2-0, he made the biggest stops of the game. It kept Calgary at bay, until Mason Lohrei scored a dazzler.
Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned pump fake. After faking the slapper, he had time and picked his spot, beating Wolf clean. It helped to have a pair of bodies (Jeannot, Viktor Arvidsson).
Still, Calgary pushed. One goal could've changed the feel or momentum, but it wasn't coming.
Korpisalo stayed locked in, and the Bruins put it out of reach.
Casey Mittelstadt followed his own rebound, and rewarded himself by chipping it up and over Wolf. The game was over. Boston entered 17-0-1 when leading after two periods, a stat that certainly felt prescient.
Still, Connor Zary snuck one through Korpisalo just before the second period ended, perhaps cracking the door open.
Korpisalo slammed that door shut, making 13 third period saves to lock it down, snapping Boston's four-game home losing streak, marking their first home win since December 16.
Next up, the Bruins host the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon on national television, the first of two weekend games for the B's.