BOSTON — Very few times in their 100-year history that the Bruins celebrated on Sunday, has playing the Canadiens served as a get-right game for Boston.
It didn’t turn out to be as easy as it first looked like it might be, but the Bruins gave their fans a victory on top of the celebration. Several players got on track offensively in the Centennial Game as Boston hung on to finish their year-long celebration with a 6-3 win over the rival Canadiens on Sunday at TD Garden.
The Bruins will face another Original 6 team on Sunday when they host Detroit.
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
After eight games without a goal, Charlie McAvoy scored twice in the game and broke the ice with 8:15 left in the first. Cycling counter-clockwise behind the net, he stuffed the wrap-around goal behind Cayden Primeau to make it 1-0. Jordan Oesterle got an assist, both his first of the season and as a Bruins on the goal.
That started a flurry. David Pastrnak, who’d been dry for seven straight, popped home a pass from Pavel Zacha less than a minute later. Fifteen seconds after that, Charlie Coyle got in on the fun as the Bruins led 3-0 after the first.
The second period seemed to start poorly when Nikita Zadorov was called for delay of the game when he accidentally flipped the pick over the glass, 25 seconds into the frame. But 13 seconds into the penalty kill, McAvoy stole a pass for an easy shorthanded breakaway goal that made it 4-0.
After Cole Caufield ended Jeremy Swayman’s shutout bid. Coyle scored his second — and the fourth by a Charlie — early in the third.
But the four-goal hole didn’t immediately sink the Canadiens. Emil Heineman and Caufield scored back-to-back goals to make it 5-3 with 13:22 left, plenty of time to make the Boston crowd nervous.
But Cole Koepke, who broke a nine-game drought added an empty-netter to seal the win.
Swayman finished with 26 saves for Boston.
