Rask makes 37 saves in return from injury, Bruins defeat Jets

WINNIPEG -- Tuukka Rask made 37 saves in his first game back from injury, and the Boston Bruins defeated the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 at Bell MTS Place on Friday.

Rask sustained a concussion on Jan. 14 in a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, causing the Bruins goalie to miss the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game.
"Rask was terrific," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He'd missed some time. He] got hit in the head with one [puck], so clearly that you're always worried because he's come off a concussion. Played well, tracked pucks well."
***[WATCH: [All Bruins vs. Jets highlights]*
Rask said, "I felt the puck well, but then it was a long break so physically not that great. I think I've played enough hockey that it's more mental. You feel those first few shots."
Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Bruins (30-10-12), who are 6-2-1 in their past nine games.

Patrik Laine scored and Laurent Brossoit made 23 saves for the Jets (25-23-4), extending their season-long losing streak to five games.
"We'll go right through that game, because there's too many good things for us not to recognize that that's a game you can win with," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. "Our offensive game was right, pucks to the net, a better mentality there. Good fight, good heart, good bench. I'm proud of the way our hockey team played tonight."
Laine gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 6:06 of the first period.
"I think we played a good game against one of the best teams in the League," Laine said. "I think that's the way we need to play, [we] just don't get the results sometimes. Got to stay with it. Got to stick to the grind. Hopefully, it will turn if we work hard."
Bergeron tied it 1-1 on a 5-on-3 power play with 53 seconds remaining in the first period. DeBrusk put the Bruins ahead 2-1 on the power play at 3:07 of the third period.
"I knew it was coming to me, so I just tried to keep my stick down, because I know I've missed about 500 of those," DeBrusk said. "I've missed a lot of those this year, so I was just trying to bear down on my stick and try to put it in, maybe catch him going side to side."

They said it

"I don't even know where it went, I just heard the crowd, so it was nice to see that go in. It was my first goal I've scored there, so it was nice to be able to do that." -- Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk on his game-winning goal
"I don't know if we're taking moral victories right now. There are some good things that we did and the overall, general theme of how we played is what we need to do for these 30 [remaining] games. But I don't think we're looking at moral victories right now." -- Jets forward Andrew Copp

Need to know

David Pastrnak had two assists and has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in his past 19 games. … Jets forward Mathieu Perreault left in the second period with an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Bruins forward Karson Kuhlman. ... Jets forward Mark Scheifele played his 500th NHL game. … The Jets play eight of their next nine games at home. They are 1-7-1 in their past nine home games and 11-12-2 at Bell MTS Place this season.

What's next

Bruins: At the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FS-N, NESN, NHL.TV)
Jets: Host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN360, CITY, SNW, FS-MW, NHL.TV)