Bergeron boosts Bruins past Canucks in return

BOSTON-- Patrice Bergeron didn't wait long to make an impact for the Boston Bruins in his season debut.
Bergeron had one goal and three assists in a 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks at TD Garden on Thursday after missing the first five games because of a lower-body injury.
Bergeron was playing in his 900th NHL game and passed Ken Hodge for seventh place on the Bruins all-time points list with 675.

Anders Bjork had two goals and an assist, Marchand had a goal and two assists, and David Pastrnak and David Krejci each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (3-3-0), who scored four straight goals in the first period, three on the power play.
WATCH: [All Canucks vs. Bruins highlights]
"I felt good. ... It's one of those [games] where it's the first one so your legs are a little heavy, especially early on," Bergeron said. "But getting those goals definitely helps get yourself going and after that I felt better as the game went on."
Anton Khudobin made 26 saves for Boston, which was without goalie Tuukka Rask, who sustained a concussion during practice Wednesday.
Derek Dorsett, Thomas Vanek and Bo Horvat scored for the Canucks (2-3-1), who split the first two games of a five-game road trip.
The Bruins scored three goals in 1:37 of the first period during a major penalty to Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson for boarding Bruins forward Frank Vatrano.

Pastrnak gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with an end-to-end rush and goal at 9:03. Twenty-three seconds later, Bjork scored on a slap shot, and Krejci scored on a rebound at 10:40 to make it 4-1. The Canucks pulled goaltender Anders Nilsson, who made 13 saves on 17 shots.
Marchand scored 10:05 into the second period for a 5-1 lead.
Vanek scored on a power play on a tip-in at 16:06, and 34 seconds later Horvat scored to cut the Bruins lead to 5-3.
"Five-on-5 after two periods I liked our game. I thought we were really coming at the end of the second and had some life. Give our guys credit, if we get a goal at the beginning of the third it's a different game," Canucks coach Travis Green said.
Bergeron's power-play goal at 11:53 of the third made it 6-3.
Jacob Markstrom made 16 saves in relief of Nilsson.
The Canucks scored first on a goal by Dorsett at 2:58 of the first period to make it 1-0. Bjork scored his first goal on a rebound at 3:29 to tie it 1-1.

Goal of the game

Bergeron lifted defenseman Ben Hutton's stick below the goal line in the Canucks zone and nudged the puck to Bjork. The rookie passed to Marchand for a wrist shot from the right dot that got past Markstrom.

Save of the game

With the Canucks back within two goals, Hutton took a slap shot from the left point through a screen by Sven Baertschi. Khudobin blocked the puck with his chest and covered 2:10 into in the third period.

Highlight of the game

Pastrnak started with the puck behind the Boston net before his goal. He skated by Markus Granlund just before the red line, and Alexander Burmistrov at the Vancouver blue line. Pastrnak deked around Michael Del Zotto to get enough space to beat Nilsson to the stick side with a wrist shot from the slot.

They said it

"They had a good power play, they moved the puck well, they scored some really nice goals. But again, it's tough when you give up four on the [penalty kill]." -- Canucks captain Henrik Sedin
"It's huge for our team. He obviously brings a lot of skill and passion and brings a lot of other things you don't really realize in the locker room and on the bench and stuff. You can definitely see why he's one of the best players in the NHL." -- Bruins forward Anders Bjork on the return of Patrice Bergeron

Need to know

Vancouver rookie Brock Boeser had an assist to extend his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists). ... Bruins center David Backes made his season debut after missing the first five games with diverticulitis. Krejci sustained an upper-body injury in the second period. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said that it didn't look like a long-term injury. Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid injured his right leg blocking a shot in the third period.

What's next

Canucks: At the Buffalo Sabres on Friday (7 p.m. ET; SN360, MSG-B, NHL.TV)
Bruins: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NESN, MSG-B, NHL.TV)