Hall's OT Tally Caps Off Win Over Wild

BOSTON -Taylor Hall finished off a nifty feed from David Pastrnak with just 10 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. Boston improved to 5-1-0 on the season with the victory.
"I think we are on the right track," said Pastrnak, who also notched his fourth goal of the season midway through the first to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. "There's small details that we have to work on. Overall, I think the first six games we made a lot of points and I think there is a lot of positive to be looking at. I think we are pretty happy. We just need to keep doing the same thing."

Despite Hall's winner coming on the power play, coach Jim Montgomery was not pleased with his club's performance on the man advantage (1 for 5, shorthanded goal allowed), but acknowledged that he did view Saturday's performance as Boston's best all-around showing this season.
"I thought that was our best game of the year, how we want to play with and without the puck. Unfortunately, things don't always go your way, but I like the way we keep handling adversity, and we just forge ahead," said Montgomery, whose club squandered a 3-1 lead by allowing tallies to Matt Boldy (15:58 of the second on the PP) and Jared Spurgeon (15:29 of the third).
"They got the power play goal. It was a good play by them. That's a really good hockey team, a team that had almost I think 110 points last year. They'll get things in order, and you can tell they're starting to come. But for our group, I liked every facet of our game except for the power play, 5-on-4."

All the notes and numbers from the Bruins' matinee victory over Minnesota:
Hall Goes Back-to-Back:After scoring in the B's win over Anaheim - and burying the shootout winner - Hall was pleased to bury another, his third of the young season. Hall also picked up two assists, one on Nick Foligno's tally at 3:12 of the first and the other on Pastrnak's marker at 12:45 of the opening frame.
"That was an amazing play by Pasta. He had the whole rink on the other side, and I had the whole net," Hall said of Pastrnak's backhand feed through the crease on the winner. "It's nice to contribute. Like I said the other night, the start to my season, personally, wasn't the way I wanted it, but our team was rolling, and that's the way it goes. Guys are gonna go through ebbs and flows through their season, and we need guys to step up every night if maybe other guys aren't.
"That was the case for me in the first few games of the year. It's nice to contribute. We're playing fast with [David Krejci]. I think we're really starting to connect out there 5-on-5, and it was a lot of fun."

Foligno's Feeling It:Foligno continued his strong start to the season with his third goal, surpassing his total from all of last year. The 34-year-old buried a wrister from the top of the circle just 3:12 into the game to tie things, 1-1.
"I think I'm just excited about contributing any way you can," said Foligno, who was joined during his postgame media scrum by his children Landon and Milana. "I think last year obviously was different. This year it's trying to contribute on the scoresheet but also just the way I play, how I'm [trying to] help drive the bottom six here and make sure we have an identity each and every night.
"That's the reason why we're having success as a team, is everyone's contributing, not just myself. There's so many guys that have made really good plays throughout the start of the season."
Montgomery concurred, noting that beyond Foligno's production, the veteran forward has impressed with his puck possession in the offensive zone."He's just playing really good hockey," said Montgomery. "Outside of the production - I don't know if you noticed after he scored the goal, but he is skating the puck down low below the tops [of the circles] and he was escaping from people, so you can see that his health is a lot better.
"And that's adding to the fact that he's skating better. He's just done a terrific job being a leader of those bottom six forwards night in night out."
Foligno's teammates have also noticed his impact both on and off the ice.
"I'm not gonna say he's a different hockey player because he's always had the skill, and he's always had such awareness out there as to what play should be made," said Hall. "I think you're seeing that he's got a little boost from just scoring and getting playing time, getting put in spots that deservedly he should be there.
"Unbelievable guy in the room. He adds another element of leadership to our already really good core of guys. I think there's not a guy in the room that isn't thrilled for him and the way he started this year, and he deserves it."
Naturally, while Foligno is pleased with his start, he said he isn't going to become content after just six games.
"You're motivated to prove to yourself," said Foligno. "It's six games in. I'm not gonna get too excited about anything and just continue to do what I do and come here and be in the moment and be excited about what we're trying to build here as a group. Like I told you guys before, I love being a Bruin. I love playing with this group. So, it drives me every day to try and bring my best."

Penalty Kill Locks It Down: The Bruins' allowed a power-play goal late in the second period, but the penalty kill was immense in the third, as they staved off roughly a minute-and-a-half 5-on-3 after taking three consecutive penalties.
"[Derek] Forbort had some great blocks," said Montgomery. "And just the commitment that we're having to good sticks, we're returning to our net, and we're sacrificing for each other. We almost had two odd-man rushes on the shorthand. [Assistant coach] Joe Sacco is doing a terrific job there with the penalty kill."
Lindholm Buries One: Hampus Lindholm played a team-high 25:20 with four shots on goal, while also notching his second of the season with a glove-side snipe to put Boston ahead, 3-1, at 6:41 of the second period.
"He's a complete stud," said Montgomery. "He's been a stud since Day 1, and we're lucky to have him. Then we're going to get another stud [Charlie McAvoy] back in a month, so knock on wood we stay healthy, and when those two other studs [McAvoy and Brad Marchand] get back in the lineup, I'm excited to see what we're going to be able to roll out."

Smith Back In: Craig Smith re-entered the lineup as the third-line right wing alongside Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle and picked up an assist on Lindholm's second-period tally. It was the winger's 400th career point, while Matt Grzelcyk picked up the other assist for his 100th career point.
"I thought Craig Smith was outstanding, and I am glad he got rewarded with his 400th career point," said Montgomery.

Chara Honored Pregame: Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was honored pregame with a ceremonial puck drop to recognize his recent retirement. Chara, who was accompanied by his sons Ben and Zack, signed a one-day contract with Boston last month to retire as a Bruin.
"It's amazing. His unbelievable career, we all know what he did here," said Pastrnak. "The recognition he got was well deserved. Obviously, I haven't seen him for a while so it was good to see him. We all know what he did here so anytime you get players like this comeback and visit it's good to see."
Foligno, who was briefly teammates with Chara during his first year in Ottawa, said that even through their countless on-ice battles, he has had immense respect for Chara's career from afar.
"He came here and changed the culture completely," said Foligno. "The way he played, for how big he was, and the way he dominated, and the way he worked at his craft, I think that was something that I always admired about him as a professional playing against him. Just so much respect for the leader that he is and the family man that he is. You appreciate getting to play against legends like that in the game.
"I think knowing what he meant for the organization, and now being here, it was an honor to be a part of that tonight, and I hope he gets a lot more recognition for what he's done for this city and this team. I think all the guys in here feel that."