The Devils were without defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who broke his jaw during a 4-3 overtime win at the Washington Capitals on Sunday and will have surgery Wednesday. They were also missing forwards Nico Hischier (lower body), Yegor Sharangovich and Pavel Zacha (each in NHL COVID-19 protocol). Tatar returned after missing three games in protocol.
"We're pretty happy with the performance," said Devils assistant Alain Nasreddine, who is coaching New Jersey with Lindy Ruff in protocol since Dec. 31. "Did we make mistakes? Yeah. But did the guys put in the work? Absolutely. The game was tied, and we ended up with a mistake that we've talked about all game: protecting our net front. That ended up costing us in the end. It's frustrating, but we're all proud of the effort we put in, especially with the situation we're in."
Lazar made it 1-0 at 2:53 of the first period, scoring from a sharp angle through Blackwood's five-hole on the rush after a New Jersey turnover.
Bastian tied it 1-1 at 57 seconds of the second period on a breakaway after forcing a turnover in the defensive zone.
Oskar Steen gave Boston a 2-1 lead with his first NHL goal 20 seconds later, poking the puck off the top of the net before it bounced off Blackwood and in at 1:17. It was Steen's ninth NHL game.
"Steen is quiet," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of the forward. "He works hard, plays the right way, goes to the net and finishes his checks. Especially for a guy that's not that big (5-foot-9, 199 pounds), he plays a courageous game. I think guys are rooting for him. The goal was clever. … Some guys might have tried to bat it off or push it off, instead of poking it up in the air. … It was a clever play. He showed a little composure. I'm happy for him."