Published: 2/11/2018 10:58:33 PM
NEWARK, N.J. – Adam McQuaid got his first goal of the season with 8:05 to play, and the Boston Bruins extended their road point-scoring streak to 13 games with a 5-3 victory over the slumping New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
Fellow defenseman Torey Krug scored twice and Tim Schaller also scored as the Bruins improved to 19-2-4 in their last 25 games and completed a sweep of the three-game season series. Patrice Bergeron added an empty-netter.
Anton Khudobin stopped a first-period penalty shot and finished with 35 saves as Boston avoided consecutive losses in regulation for what would have been the third time this season.
Miles Wood, Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri scored for the Devils, who have lost four straight and eight of 11. Eddie Lack, who was acquired in a trade with Calgary in late December, made 22 saves in his first start for New Jersey.
McQuaid, who returned to the lineup on Jan. 17 after missing 36 games with a broken right leg, snapped a 3-all tie with a shot from the right point that deflected off the stick of teammate Drew Stafford and bounced past Lack.
It was the first game between the teams since Brad Marchand was suspended for five games for elbowing New Jersey’s Marcus Johansson in the head in Boston on Jan. 23. Marchand was booed every time he touched the puck in the wide-open game.
There was a scrum after Bergeron scored with 39 seconds to play. Marchand was knocked down by Damon Severson before the goal.
Boston took leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in the first two periods, scoring two unassisted short-handed goals in the first period and converting a power play in the second.
The Devils responded every time, getting three even-strength goals. Palmieri tied it at 3 by beating Khudobin in close after taking a nice pass from Hall.
The Bruins’ first two goals were a little bizarre. Krug got his first when Nico Hischier tried to clear a puck in the crease and slid it under Lack, who was playing in his sixth NHL game this season.
Wood came out of the penalty box and tied the game with a breakaway goal at 16:32, but Schaller got the lead back for Boston with a stuff at the corner of the net with three seconds left after Hall could not handle a Lack pass.
Hall made up for the mistake 31 seconds into the second period after Hischier intercepted a Marchand pass.
Krug got his 10th of the season with a point shot three seconds after Drew Stafford was called for elbowing.
Notes Bruins RW Noel Acciari returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. ... Devils D John Moore was a healthy scratch after playing in the opening 54 games. ... Bruins C Ryan Spooner got his 100th career assist on Krug’s second goal. ... Boston is 16-5-4 on the road this season and 23-5-6 against Eastern Conference teams.