Elias Lindholm scored the lone goal in the second period and Joonas Korpisalo pitched a 21-save shutout as the Boston Bruins won Joe Sacco’s debut as interim head coach, defeating the visiting Utah Hockey Club 1-0 Thursday.
Korpisalo made nine saves in the middle frame and also helped the Bruins withstand a late flurry from the visitors.
The Bruins finished 1-for-7 on the power play — converting for the second consecutive game after going without a goal in the previous six in a row — and 4-for-4 killing penalties.
Boston was on its second three-game losing streak of the season (0-2-1) when Jim Montgomery was fired on Tuesday.
Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for Utah, which has lost four of its last five games and was shut out for the fifth time in 19 games.
After being held under 20 shots in two of their previous five games, the Bruins poured that total on Vejmelka — aided by four power plays — in the first half of the Thursday game.
Lindholm broke the game’s deadlock and a personal 17-game goal drought on a power play at the 12:41 mark of the second. The first-year Bruin grabbed Brad Marchand’s pass that bounced off his skate on the doorstep and buried it for his first tally since Oct. 12.
The Bruins killed off a Cole Koepke slashing minor in the final seven minutes of regulation, with a Nick Schmaltz drive being blocked just wide of goal. Shortly after the advantage, Korpisalo padded away a Michael Kesselring shot from the left point.
A Pastrnak empty-net goal was taken off the board due to a high-sticking call with 1:01 left.
In the first period, Vejmelka made several strong saves to maintain the scoreless game as Boston racked up a 15-5 edge in shots.
Boston’s Mark Kastelic and Utah’s Robert Bortuzzo provided early energy as well, dropping the gloves 6:17 into the game for their first of two head-to-head fights.
Utah narrowly missed scoring when Barrett Hayton clanked the right post with 3:44 left in the opening period.
–Field Level Media
