Rask runs personal points streak to 20 as Bruins top Leafs
Boston's points streak may be over, but Tuukka Rask's is alive and well.
The former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie stopped 23 of 24 shots to extend his personal points streak to 20 games and power the Bruins past the Atlantic Division-rival Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Saturday night at TD Garden in Boston.
Rask improved to 18-0-2 during his streak, which is the fourth-longest in Bruins' history and the longest since Pete Peeters' 31-game stretch in the 1982-83 season.
Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Torey Krug and Tim Schaller each scored a goal for Boston, which won its second straight after a 3-1 loss to Anaheim on Tuesday snapped the team's league-best 18-game points streak at 14-0-4.
Mitchell Marner had the lone goal for the Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen saved 26 of 29 shots as Toronto snapped its four-game winning streak and lost to the Bruins for the first time in seven straight regular-season meetings.
The winning streak was the Maple Leafs' longest since a six-game surge from Nov. 6 to Nov. 18, which included back-to-back wins against the Bruins on Nov. 10 (3-2 OT) and Nov. 11 (4-1).
Bruins captain Zdeno Chara played in his 1,400th career game, making him the fourth European-born player and the 13th NHL defenseman to reach the milestone.
Boston rookie Charlie McAvoy made his return 12 days after a heart procedure sidelined him for four games.
Bergeron's team-leading 22nd goal from the high slot put Boston up 1-0 with 15:31 to play in the opening period. Marner tied it with his ninth goal on a power-play slap shot above the circle with 11:47 left in the first.
Pastrnak's 21st goal, a wrist shot on a power play, with 10:38 to go in the second put the Bruins up for good. Krug's eighth goal on a one-timer with 3:13 left in the period gave Boston some insurance.
Schaller scored his seventh goal on an empty-netter with 1:39 left.
--Field Level Media
