BOSTON (AP) — Charlie Coyle had his first career hat trick — thanks to an empty-netter spoon-fed to him by David Pastrnak — and Linus Ullmark made 27 saves in the Boston Bruins' 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
Coyle also assisted on a goal in the first period for four points on the night to help the defending Presidents Trophy winners win for the 11th time in their first 13 games. They ended the night tied with Stanley Cup champion Vegas for the most points in the NHL, with 23.
Simon Holmstrom scored a short-handed goal for New York 10 seconds after the faceoff to open the power play, tying the game 2-2 early in the third period. But Pastrnak gave the Bruins the lead with a wrist shot that squirted through Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin’s pads.
Coyle made it 4-2 midway through the third when he redirected a crossing pass from James van Riemsdyk into the net. It remained that way until the final two minutes, when the Islanders pulled Sorokin for an open skater.
The Bruins were able to clear the zone, with Pastrnak and Coyle racing toward the net ahead of a single New York defender. Coyle pushed it over to Pastrnak, who had an open shot from the right circle; instead, he fed it back to Coyle for the tip-in.
Brock Nelson also scored and Sorokin stopped 30 shots for the Islanders. They have lost three in a row.
Trent Frederic also scored for Boston. The Bruins were without top defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who was serving the final game of a four-game suspension for head hit on Florida’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Host Washington on Saturday night.
Bruins: At Montreal on Saturday night.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
