Bruins pummel Avalanche to improve on NHL-record home start

BOSTON (AP) — Another top NHL team came to Boston and ran into the unbeatable Bruins.

David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic scored two goals apiece and the Bruins improved to an NHL-record 14-0 at home this season by beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-1 on Saturday night.

Three nights after William and Kate, the future British king and queen, were in the TD Garden to watch the NBA's Celtics, the 18-time Prince of Wales Trophy winners took the ice against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

Just like the defending East champion Lightning did on Tuesday, and the Carolina Hurricanes — who knocked Boston out of the playoffs last season — did the game before, the injury-depleted Avalanche left with a loss.

“It’s fun to play at home,” Bruins forward Brad Marchand said. “But, you know, we kind of carry that confidence all the time. It’s just sometimes it goes our way a little more at home.”

Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots for his sixth straight victory, but his first since Nov. 21. Jake DeBrusk scored his 100th career NHL goal, making it 5-1 late in the third period just 10 seconds after Frederic gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

“I do think that we have a killer instinct in us that has grown throughout the year,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “This team, you can tell a lot of guys have won a lot in this league. They know how to win.”

Andrew Cogliano scored to make it 3-1 in the third for the Avalanche, spoiling Ullmark’s shutout after two Bruins collided in front of the net and gave the puck away. Pavel Francouz made 34 saves for Colorado, which is without forwards Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues and Darren Helm and defensemen Bowen Byram and Kurtis MacDermid; captain Gabriel Landeskog had knee surgery in October.

“Colorado was very depleted,” Montgomery said. “But still, that’s a championship team and they know how to win.”

Pastrnak gave the Bruins the lead when he one-timed a pass from Brad Marchand into the net on a power play with just under six minutes left in the first period. Charlie McAvoy worked a give-and-go with Pavel Zacha, and Frederic poked in the rebound to make it 2-0 near the end of the first.

Another potential goal by DeBrusk was waved off because the net came off its moorings before the puck crossed the line. Pastrnak made it 3-0 five minutes into the second when he was sprung on a breakaway by David Krejci.

“That was big,” Montgomery said. “Sometimes there’s a lull in the game and then the other team gets a little bit of a lift. But that Krejci line was good all night.”

Tomas Nosek had a chance to add to it when he was taken down on a breakaway near the end of the period; Francouz stopped the penalty shot.

NOTES: The record of 11 straight home wins to start the season had been set by the 1963-64 Chicago Blackhawks, matched by the Florida Panthers last season and broken by the Bruins last Friday. ... Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen left the game after the first period and did not return. ... The Bruins alumni played a charity game against a group of Navy Seals on Saturday afternoon. Among those lacing up skates for the alumni was the defensive pairing of Ray Bourque and Zdeno Chara.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.

Bruins: Host the Vegas Golden Knights and former coach Bruce Cassidy on Monday night, putting their home winning streak at risk before heading on the road before heading on a three-game road trip.

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