BOSTON — The Boston Bruins roared to their fifth straight victory as rookie right winger Seth Griffith scored a spectacular goal and center Patrice Bergeron had a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.
Bergeron, who has six points during a four-game points streak, scored his third goal of the season and assisted on goals by center Carl Soderberg (on the power play) and right winger Reilly Smith. Smith also assisted on the Soderberg goal.
Griffith blocked a shot inside the defense zone, and skated through a pair of defenders, was being held by defenseman Marek Zidlicky, turned his body and slid a backhander through his own legs and under goaltender Cory Schneider.
The goals by Griffith and Smith came 1:20 apart late in the second period, after the Devils had tied the game 2-2 and were putting pressure on the Bruins (10-6-0).
Schneider, who hails from nearby Marblehead, Mass., played at Boston College and had some 50 family and friends at the game, had a rough night as the Devils (6-7-2) lost their fourth straight game.
Center Travis Zajac had a goal and an assist, ageless right winger Jaromir Jagr a goal and Mike Cammalleri, the left winger on the line, had two assists in his first game back after missing six straight with a head injury.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was beaten by Zajac just 1:26 into the game but went on to stop 26 shots, 14 in the third period, and raise his record to 8-4-0.
Schneider, who has started every game playing behind a shaky defensive system for the Devils this season, gave up four goals on 20 shots in the first two periods (the Bruins had only three shots in the third).
New Jersey has been giving the puck away all season and defenseman Eric Gelinas gave it to Bergeron for his goal and defenseman Bryce Salvador couldn’t control the puck in his end on the Smith goal.
Jagr, who passed Wayne Gretzky and moved into 17th place on the NHL’s all-time games list with 1,488, moved past Mike Gartner with his 708th goal. It came after Zajac circled the net with the puck, curled and left it off the boards for Jagr, who has scored so many goals coming off the right boards. Rask was screened and the shot hit his pad and still went in, Jagr’s third goal of the season.
Soderberg has six points in the last five games, Smith five in the last five.
GAME NOTES: LW Mike Cammalleri returned to the New Jersey lineup after missing six games with a head injury. … With D David Warsofsky the latest member of the Boston defensive corps knocked out (2-4 weeks with a groin injury), D Torey Krug returned after missing four games with a broken finger. … Both teams were missing key centers because of injury. New Jersey’s Adam Henrique and Boston’s David Krejci continued to be out. … In honor of Veterans Day, the Bruins held Military Appreciation night, with six players combining to donate $2,500 worth of tickets to military personnel and their families, complete with a postgame meet and greet with the players. The Bruins wore military jerseys in warmups that were to be auctioned off. … The Devils host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night and the Bruins visit Toronto and Montreal on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
NHL NOTES: Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel was fined $5,376 on Monday for punching San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun during Saturday’s game. Roussel was assessed a two-minute penalty for roughing and a 10-minute game misconduct at 18:51 of the third period. The scuffle started when Roussel knocked down Sharks goalie Alex Stalock while trying to bat the puck out of the zone. That brought out a group of players along the boards. As Braun was being held back by an official, Roussel punched Braun. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. … The Detroit Red Wings recalled goaltender Tom McCollum from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and assigned goalie Petr Mrazek to the Griffins, the team announced. McCollum, 24, re-signed with the Red Wings during the offseason after spending the 2013-14 season on an AHL contract. … The Montreal Canadiens assigned Rene Bourque to Hamilton of the American Hockey League after the veteran forward cleared waivers. Bourque has two assists and six penalty minutes in 11 games with Montreal this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs reassigned center Sam Carrick, left winger Josh Leivo and defenseman Stuart Percy to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.