Bruins score three in third to beat Flames

BOSTON (AP) — Patrice Bergeron and Riley Nash scored two goals apiece, helping the Boston Bruins beat the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Tuesday night.

David Backes had two assists for the Bruins, who won for the sixth time in seven games and won't play at home again for two weeks. Zdeno Chara had an empty-net goal and Tuukka Rask stopped 27 shots.

Calgary had won four of five. Sam Bennett and Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Flames, and David Rittich had 35 saves.

Down 4-2, the Flames gambled by pulling Rittich for an extra skater and Chara made them play with an end-to-end shot with 3:46 left to play.

Boston jumped in front on Nash's ninth goal just 28 seconds into the game, but Bennett got his eighth of the season at 2:03 and Gaudreau stuffed in a rebound at 9:12 to put Calgary up 2-1.

Nash tied it with 3:40 left in the second, and Boston regained the lead 1:15 into the third period when Bergeron scored on the power play. Bergeron took a long pass through center ice from Torey Krug and beat Rittich with a wrist shot to the stick side.

It was the 26th goal of the season for Bergeron, who added No. 27 at 9:19 when he tipped in a shot from Brad Marchand.

NOTES: Nash's two goals gave him 10 for the season, tying the career high he set with Carolina in 2013-2014. ... The Bruins honored the 40th anniversary of the 1977-78 lineup that featured 11 players who scored 20 or more goals. Ten members of the team were introduced in a pregame ceremony along with former coach Don Cherry. ... Rittich was making just his 11st start of the season. G Mike Smith is day to day with a lower-body injury that forced him to leave Sunday's win against the Islanders in New York with 2 seconds remaining. ... The Flames were without F Troy Brouwer, placed on injured reserve Monday with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT

Flames: Visit Nashville on Thursday night.

Bruins: Open a five-game trip at Vancouver on Saturday night.

Associated Press