NEW YORK — Patrice Bergeron had the go-ahead goal in the second period and the surging Boston Bruins scored three times in the third to pull away for a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Danton Heinen, Brad Marchand, Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari also scored for the Bruins, who are 7-0-2 in their last nine games. Tuukka Rask stopped 25 shots.
Jordan Eberle had New York’s goal and Jaroslav Halak finished with 33 saves as the Islanders lost their third straight. Josh Bailey was held without a point, ending his career-high streak at 11 games.
It was a fluky goal from Bergeron that put the Bruins ahead 2-1 in the second. A centering pass to Marchand took a funny deflection right to Bergeron on the side of the net and the Bruins’ forward banked it in off Halak at 8:28. Marchand got his 200th career assist on the play.
Marchand then got his 16th goal at 9:04 of the third after the Islanders turned over the puck and David Pastrnak led an odd-man rush. to make it 3-1.
Schaller deflected the puck out of the air to give the Bruins a three-goal lead with just under five minutes left in the game, and Accaiari added an empty-netter with 2:13 remaining.
The Bruins extended their record to 12-1-2 in their last 15 contests against Eastern Conference opponents.
Boston opened the scoring with a goal off a draw in the middle of the first period. Riley Nash won the faceoff and the puck went right to Heninen, who fired the puck past Halak at 8:17.
Eberle evened the score just over a minute later after he forced a turnover in front of the net and slid the puck past the extended leg of Rask for his 14th.
NOTES: The NHL announced Tuesday that Rask was named first star for December and Bailey was the second star. … The Bruins scratched forwards Anders Bjork and Paul Postma and defenseman Frank Vatrano. … Forward Tanner Fritz made his NHL debut against Boston after the Islanders called him up from the AHL on Monday. … Forward Alan Quine and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg were scratched for New York.
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WHO: Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
TELEVISION: NESN
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