Bergeron leads Bruins over Canucks 6-3 with goal, 3 assists

BOSTON — Patrice Bergeron had a goal and three assists in his season debut, moving up to seventh on Boston’s career scoring list as the Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 on Thursday night.

Anders Bjork scored twice for Boston, Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists and David Pastrnak added a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who scored five straight goals after falling behind 1-0 early in the first period.

Anton Khudobin made 26 saves for Boston while starting in place of Tuukka Rask, who is out indefinitely with a concussion he suffered in practice Wednesday.

Derek Dorsett, Bo Horvat and Thomas Vanek scored for the Canucks, and Michael Del Zotto had two assists.

The Bruins scored three power-play goals in the first after Erik Gudbranson was called for a boarding major for a hit from behind on Frank Vatrano 6:13 into the game. Gudbranson also received a game misconduct and a fighting major when Tim Schaller stepped in for his fallen teammate.

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Pastrnak gave Boston its first lead when he took the puck end-to-end and split a pair of Vancouver defenders in front of the net and beat Jacob Markstrom 9:03 into the first. Just after the faceoff, Boston was right back in the Canucks zone and Bjork scored his second of the game on a snap shot from the circle at 9:26 of the first off a setup from Krejci.

Still on the major power play, the Bruins scored again 1:24 later when a long rebound off a shot by Bergeron bounced right to Krejci at the left circle and he knocked in the puck for his first goal of the season.

Bergeron, who missed Boston’s first five games while recovering from off-season surgery for a sports hernia, got his second assist of the night on Krejci’s goal and added a third at 10:05 of the second period when Marchand’s wrist shot from the right circle beat Anders Nilsson, who replaced Markstrom after the first.

Bergeron also assisted on Bjork’s first goal, which tied it at 1-all 3:29 into the game, and added his first goal of the season with a one-timer from in front at 11:53 of the third to put Boston up 6-3. Pastrnak and Marchand assisted on the goal, which moved Bergeron past Ken Hodge to No. 7 on the Bruins’ scoring list with 674 points.

Nilsson finished with 16 saves on 18 shots. Markstrom was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots in the first.

NOTES: Boston was 4 for 8 on the power play. … It was the 900th career game for Bergeron and the 100th for Schaller. … Krejci had a goal and an assist before leaving with an upper-body injury. … Ex-Bruin Loui Eriksson was out for the Canucks with a knee injury. … With Rask sidelined, the Bruins to call up goalie Zane McIntyre from Providence of the American Hockey League. … The Bruins also activated right wing David Backes (diverticulitis) and placed centre Ryan Spooner on injured reserve with a tear in his right groin. Spooner was hurt last week at Las Vegas and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

UP NEXT

The Canucks finish their first back-to-back games of the season Friday night at Buffalo.

The Bruins continue a four-game homestand Saturday against Buffalo.

Doug Alden, The Associated Press