Bergeron leads Bruins to 3-1 win over slumping Blues
By DOUG ALDEN Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) - Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal with 7:15 remaining and the Boston Bruins beat the slumping St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Monday night.
Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston, and Brad Marchand had two assists. Linus Ullmark finished with 25 saves as the Bruins improved to 7-0-0 at home and won for the eighth time in nine games overall.
Brayden Schenn scored and Jordan Binnington had 34 saves in the Blues' seventh straight loss - all in regulation.
With the score tied 1-1 deep into the third period, St. Louis captain Ryan O'Reilly was whistled for tripping with 8:28 left to put the Bruins on the power play and they capitalized.
Binnington stopped two shots by Marchand and managed to cover a rebound during an extended scrum in front of the net.
However, the Bruins won the faceoff and worked the puck around to Bergeron in the slot for a one-timer that put Boston back on top with his fifth of the season.
Frederic helped seal it with 3:32 left with his third.
The Bruins led 1-0 after DeBrusk scored on a power play with 6:26 left in the first period, taking a backhand feed from Pastrnak in the slot and slipping it between Binnington's legs for his fifth.
Schenn tied it for St. Louis on a one-timer with 8:23 left in the second off a crossing pass from Jordan Kyrou. It was his third.
Former Bruins defenseman Torey Krug also assisted on the goal.
WE'RE SORRY
Earlier Monday, Bruins president Cam Neely said the club "dropped the ball" in signing Mitchell Miller without properly vetting the decision to bring the 20-year-old defenseman on board despite a conviction for bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities in middle school.
The Bruins drew widespread criticism before rescinding the offer Sunday night, then held a news conference Monday when Neely apologized to the victim and his family.
"I'm extremely upset that we have made a lot of people unhappy with our decision," Neely said. "I take pride in the Bruins organization and what we stand for. And we failed there."
SAAD RETURNS
Blues LW Brandon Saad was back on the ice for the first time since an upper-body injury caused him to miss six straight games.
PRODUCTION
Marchand's assists gave him seven points (four goals, three assists) in five games since returning early from hip surgery.
UP NEXT
Blues: At Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Bruins: Host Calgary on Thursday night.
