BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins (8-2-1) blew out the Nashville Predators (3-3-3) X-X inside TD Garden on Thursday night.
It's a seventh-straight game with a point for Boston, and continues their truly unbelievable start to the season.
Boston remains planted atop the Atlantic Division, as their playoff odds continue to surge higher less than a full month into the season.
David Pastrnak led the way for the Bruins Thursday, posting two goals and two primary assists for three points in the victory.
Charlie McAvoy notched four assists in the win.
JJ Peterka, Mark Kastelic and Casey Mittelstadt had the other two even-strength goals, while Elias Lindholm potted one on the man advantage.
Michael DiPietro shone brightly. Yes, the scoreboard shows a blowout, but it nearly wasn't.
Leading 2-0, DiPietro made multiple Herculean saves to keep Boston ahead 2-0.
The first is an incredible one-timer save on Nils Hoglander.
DIPPER LOOKIN' DANDY 🛑 pic.twitter.com/sFSI9twKPl
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026
Moments later, the Bruins coughed up a 2-on-0 to Mavrik Bourque and Alexander Kerfoot.
DiPietro made not one, but two huge saves to preserve Boston's 2-0 lead.
DANDY DIPPER | PART II https://t.co/WXkH1DClP6pic.twitter.com/1maLN1lI1P
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026
Less than a minute later, Pastrnak made it 3-0, and it felt like game over.
All told, DiPietro made 28 saves in the win, his second-career win in the NHL. It's also DiPietro's first-career shutout in the NHL. A total milestone night.
Predators' backup goaltender Justus Annunen did not have his best showing, posting 25 saves in the loss, while allowing 6 goals.
Morgan Geekie looked to have suffered an injury in the first period, but stayed in the game and did not miss a shift after leaving the first period early.
Bruins Goals, Sequentially:
Mittelstadt got the party started for Boston on Thursday, sniping home the game's opening goal less than four minutes in. Pastrnak made a slick feed on the goal.
Dave finds Casey 👌 pic.twitter.com/SNtf8zo7z4
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 22, 2026
Later in the first period, the Predators blew their coverage, and left Elias Lindholm all alone in front.
McAvoy sent a low wrister to him, and Lindholm redirected it home over Annunen.
Lindy doubles the lead with a PPG. pic.twitter.com/tQL8OC8lwQ
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 22, 2026
The Bruins took that 2-0 lead into the second period, where DiPietro made some massive saves to keep it that eventually.
The Bruins rewarded him for his efforts, as Pastrnak made it 3-0 with a deflection of a McAvoy shot:
Credit goes to The Cap 🍝 pic.twitter.com/BaYs1B2oyq
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026
Tortellini tip drill 🍝 https://t.co/TFG5yNAyVZpic.twitter.com/rYmGP7XwL4
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026
The Bruins didn't stop there. Pastrnak led Peterka in on a rush, and sent an absolutely unbelievable slap pass Peterka's way.
Peterka, after hitting the post the first time, slammed in the second chance.
JJ WITH THE SECOND EFFORT 💪 pic.twitter.com/3KCyplTXgF
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026
Boston carried that 4-0 edge into the third period, where they gave up an early penalty.
DiPietro made more outstanding saves as Nashville pushed hard to get on the board, to no avail.
Everything came up Boston, which couldn't have been more evident than it was on Kastelic's goal.
Kasty cleans it up. pic.twitter.com/xRQWumJW8y
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026
Matthew Poitras, who dumped it in, received the primary assist after it caromed in front, right to Kastelic, who shuffled it home.
That gave Poitras a five-game point streak, and he is up to four goals and seven points in his first eight games.
Pastrnak finished off the party, scoring his second of the game with 5:02 to go in the third period.
The Bruins are back in action Saturday night inside TD Garden against the San Jose Sharks.