Pastrnak Breaks Out as the Power Play Wakes Up in a 6-1 Rout of Utah

By Soapz · Oct 9, 2026

Now THAT'S more like it, B's fans. After four games of frustration with the man advantage, the Bruins' power play finally showed up on Thursday night, and the captain led the charge. David Pastrnak scored twice on the power play and added two assists, Morgan Geekie had a goal and two helpers, and Boston rolled over the Utah Mammoth 6-1 at TD Garden. The Bruins snap a two-game skid and improve to 3-2-0.

This was the most complete game the Bruins have played all season. Six goals from five different scorers, three of them on the power play, and a penalty kill that went a perfect 7-for-7 against one of the best power plays in the league. Oh, and Jeremy Swayman made 36 saves. Let's break it all down.

First period: three goals and a goalie change

The Bruins came out flying. At 10:06 of the first, James Hagens and Elias Lindholm worked the puck to Casey Mittelstadt, and Mittelstadt beat Sebastian Cossa with a wrist shot for his first goal of the season. Hagens getting the primary assist was a nice touch for a rookie who's been finding ways to contribute every night.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Lawson Crouse took an interference penalty on Marat Khusnutdinov at 14:16, and just six seconds into the power play, Pastrnak beat Cossa with a wrist shot, with Frederic Brunet and Geekie on the assists. The first power-play goal of the season, and his first goal as Bruins captain. The Garden let out a sigh of relief and then went absolutely nuts.

Ninety seconds later, it was 3-0. Matthew Poitras and Mark Kastelic got the puck to Mason Lohrei, who went on a slick little rush and snapped a wrist shot home at 15:51. That was all for Cossa, who was pulled in favor of Karel Vejmelka after allowing three goals on eight shots. Three goals in under six minutes, and the Bruins were in full control.

Second period: Pasta and Geeks on the power play

The Bruins kept their foot on the gas in the second. Vincent Trocheck took a high-sticking penalty on Lohrei at 3:29, and Pastrnak scored again at 4:40, this time hammering a slap shot off a Geekie feed, with Hampus Lindholm picking up the second assist. 4-0, and the captain had two power-play goals in one night.

Then at 7:21, Michael Carcone hooked Brunet, and it took the Bruins just 36 seconds to score again. This time it was Geekie with the slap shot, with Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on the assists. 5-0. Three power-play goals in three opportunities, after not scoring once through the first four games. You'd never have guessed this unit was struggling.

Poitras capped off the period at 14:08, taking a pass from Pastrnak, who had just hopped off the bench, and burying a wrist shot for his first goal of the season. 6-0. That was Pastrnak's fourth point of the night, and the Garden was rocking.

Third period: Sway keeps it locked down

With a six-goal lead, the third period was mostly about seeing it out, and the Bruins did that just fine. Jack McBain spoiled the shutout at 9:48 with a snap shot off feeds from Dmitri Simashev and Barrett Hayton, but by then the result was long decided. Clayton Keller took a tripping penalty late, but the Bruins weren't interested in running up the score.

The penalty kill was the real star

Let's not lose sight of this. Utah came into the night with one of the most dangerous power plays in the league, and the Bruins killed off all seven of their chances. That's a lot of penalties, and Boston will want to clean that up. Will Borgen alone took three in the second period. But the kill was outstanding, blocking shots and clearing the zone over and over.

Borgen and Brunet each blocked four shots, and Jeannot blocked three. When your penalty kill is blocking shots like that, you're telling your goalie you've got his back, and Swayman had a lot of saves to make anyway.

Sway was busy

For all the offense, the Bruins were actually outshot 37-22, which tells you how much time they spent killing penalties. Swayman stopped 36 of 37 shots, many of them on Utah power plays, and was the second star of the game. He's been excellent so far this season, and nights like this show why the team trusts him so much.

The captain is back on track

Pastrnak was the first star, and he looked like his old self all night. Two goals, two assists, four shots on goal and a ton of confidence. When the captain is playing like this, the power play goes, and when the power play goes, the Bruins are very hard to beat. Geekie was the third star with a goal and two assists, and he was the perfect partner for Pastrnak on the man advantage.

Elsewhere, Hagens and Brunet both picked up assists, Poitras scored and Lohrei made a beautiful play for his goal. The young guys are contributing, and that's a great sign for the rest of the season.

Soapz's report card

David Pastrnak: A+. Two power-play goals, two assists and the first star. This was the captain at his very best, and the whole team fed off it.

Morgan Geekie: A. A goal and two assists, all on the power play. He was the perfect complement to Pastrnak on the top unit,.

Jeremy Swayman: A. 36 saves on a night when his team spent a lot of time killing penalties. He was the second star, and he earned it.

Mason Lohrei: A-. A great individual play for his goal and steady minutes on the back end. He's playing with real confidence right now.

Casey Mittelstadt: B+. First goal of the season to open the scoring, and he looked dangerous every time he had the puck.

Matthew Poitras: B+. An assist on the Lohrei goal and his first goal of the season. A two-point night for the young center.

The penalty kill: A+. Seven Utah power plays, seven kills. That's as good as it gets against one of the best power plays in hockey.

Discipline: C-. Seven penalties is too many, and Borgen's three minors in the second period is something the coaching staff will definitely talk about. You won't kill off seven every night.

Why this one matters

After two straight losses and a power play that hadn't scored all season, this was the kind of game the Bruins really needed. Not just a win, but a statement. The top unit finally clicked, the captain got going and the team showed what it can look like when everything comes together. One game doesn't make a season, but this one should give the room a lot of confidence heading into the weekend.

Looking ahead: Philadelphia on Saturday

The Bruins stay home for a Saturday afternoon matinee against the Philadelphia Flyers, and they'll want to carry this momentum into the weekend. Things to watch: Can the power play keep it rolling? Can the Bruins stay out of the box after taking seven penalties? And will Pastrnak stay hot?

Our takeaways

The power play is alive. Three goals in four chances after a scoreless first four games. The captain is cooking. Four points for Pastrnak. The penalty kill was perfect. 7-for-7 against a top power play. Sway was solid. 36 saves on 37 shots, and the Bruins needed every one.

That's 3-2-0, B's fans. Big bounce-back night at the Garden! 🐻

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