B's Enter Christmas Break on High Note After Win in Jersey

NEWARK - David Pastrnak scored twice, while Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk added a goal apiece, during a four-goal second period as the Bruins held on for a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Friday night. Linus Ullmark also made 37 saves to lift the Black & Gold to their fourth straight victory heading into the Christmas break.
"We can go out and play any type of game," said coach Jim Montgomery, whose club improved to 27-4-2. "We can be down and we can come back and win, we can be up and we can keep our foot on the gas pedal."

The Captain Starts It Off:Playing in an always difficult back-to-back matchup - following their 3-2 win over Winnipeg at TD Garden on Thursday night - the B's entered the second period down, 1-0, after Jack Hughes' power-play goal late in the opening frame. But Bergeron wasted little time in the second tying things up as he tipped home DeBrusk's shot off a face-off victory to make it 1-1 at 3:12 of the period and set the tone for four consecutive Bruins goals.
"That faceoff goal by Bergy, I think, gave us the energy we needed to really go into attack mode," said Montgomery.

Pastrnak Pots A Pair: Attack mode was activated about a minute after Bergeron's tally, with Pastrnak giving the B's a 2-1 lead on a classic David-to-David sequence as David Krejci found his winger in the slot where Pastrnak trickled one through Mackenzie Blackwood at 4:34 of the second.. Pastrnak's second goal came just over 5 minutes later when he toe-dragged through the slot and rifled one by Blackwood blocker-side.
"Cliffy was patient with the puck and I think found Krech," Pastrnak said of his second goal. "So obviously I knew the puck's coming, it was a great play all around."
Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (24) and assists (23) and is also now tied with Bobby Orr for 10th on the club's all-time career goals, checking in at 264. "I've been shooting a lot," said Pastrnak, who also extended his point streak to 11 games (10 goals, 5 assists). "I'm just just happy that it's going in."
When asked about his willingness to shoot, he credits the team's success for giving him the confidence to go for it. "I think a big thing is obviously the whole team is doing well and that helps with confidence. Krech, you know, he's never going to shoot, so somebody has to do that," Pastrnak quipped.

DeBrusk Cashes In: DeBrusk also added one in the second, giving the B's the 4-1 lead entering the third period. This was DeBrusk's 13th goal this season, and with his assist on Bergeron's goal, he checks in with 13 assists as well, putting him at 26 points. When asked about the biggest difference in this year's team, DeBrusk explained the team dynamic.
"I think the biggest thing probably is just how everyone's playing for each other," said DeBrusk, who scored for the second straigt game. "It's something that sounds cliche, but if you look at throughout our roster and at guys' statistics, everyone is doing very well...there's probably a couple of guys I think I saw this earlier that are going for career highs...anytime you have that type of production throughout the lineup, it's a hard league to have that in..and when you have that, it makes us a really hard team to beat."
Ullmark Does It Again: Ullmark stopped 37 shots and improved his record to 19-1-1. "He's really taken a step this year, he's really bringing it and we've needed it," said DeBrusk. "Obviously tonight was a prime example..that one where he made a save with his glove on the goal line...he just seems to be there at the right times."