BOSTON — Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand each had two goals to lift the Boston Bruins over the Calgary Flames 6-4 on Thursday night.

Boston has won three in a row and 6 of 8.

The Bruins built on their win over Chicago in Tuesday’s Winter Classic by beating the top team in the Western Conference.

Jaroslav Halak stopped 33 shots, and John Moore and David Pastrnak also scored.

Mike Smith had 21 saves for Calgary, which has dropped 5 of 8.

Michael Frolik, Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames.

Advertisement

Gaudreau scored from a tight angle with 9:27 left to cut Boston’s lead to 4-3. He also had an assist but failed to convert on two breakaways. Gaudreau was coming off consecutive four-point games.

DeBrusk quickly stretched the lead off a pass from David Krejci with 6:14 to play. Backlund scored less than three minutes later to make it 5-4, but Marchand iced it with an empty-netter with 1:50 left.

Frolik got Calgary going with a short-handed goal 7:46 into the game. He charged out of the box after he and Lindholm were called for penalties five seconds apart and beat Halak.

It was the ninth short-handed goal allowed by the Bruins this season. They gave up 10 last season.

NOTES: South Portland’s Jon Gillies was recalled by the Flames and backed up goalie Mike Smith for the second straight night. Gillies has played in 22 games with the Stockton Heat of the AHL this season with a 4.07 goals-against average. … Krejci was absent from morning skate due to his wife giving birth to a baby boy in the morning. He was in the lineup and finished with two assists. … Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is progressing and working out and should start skating soon. He won’t be available for Saturday’s game against the Sabres, but could return next Tuesday or Thursday. … Boston forward David Backes served the final game of his three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.