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Boston routs Tampa Bay as Savard returns

Dec 3, 2010 - 5:58 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - David Krejci notched two goals and one assist as Boston routed Tampa Bay, 8-1, at TD Garden.

Michael Ryder had a goal and two helpers, while Milan Lucic and Mark Recchi added a goal and assist apiece for the Bruins, who set a season-high for goals in one game with their second straight win and third in five.

Dennis Seidenberg, Shawn Thornton and Blake Wheeler also tallied for Boston, which celebrated the season-debut of Marc Savard from post-concussion syndrome. Savard did not record a point in almost 16 minutes of ice time.

"He didn't look like he missed a beat out there," Bruins coach Claude Julien said of his star center. "I liked his game from start to finish. His stamina was great."

Tim Thomas was strong through the first two periods in what was a relatively close game, ending up with 37 stops in all. He also added his second assist of the season on Thornton's tally.

Victor Hedman provided the lone offense for the Lightning, who slid to their third loss in four.

Starter Mike Smith was yanked after giving up five goals on 22 shots through 40-plus minutes. Dan Ellis finished the game by yielding three goals on 10 shots.

"It's embarrassing to get beat like we did tonight and it stinks," Lightning goalie Mike Smith said. "We have some work to do. I think it starts with the goaltending out and we have to hold the fort."

Just 34 seconds into the third period, Smith was pulled for Ellis after Krejci scored on a rush to make it 5-1 when his casual shot found space inside the right post.

Ryder greeted Ellis with a blistering slapshot from the slot at 1:50, then Recchi followed up a broken pass with a wrister at 7:28 on a power play.

It was 8-1 with 6:05 left in the game when yet another Lightning giveaway in their own zone resulted in Recchi's drop pass to Wheeler for a successful wrister from the slot.

"When you have momentum, you want to hold onto it because it is easy to lose," Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara said about his club's 3-0 victory in Philadelphia on Wednesday. "Between last night and tonight, we were able to put together two good games, but once you think you have it, that is when you lose it."

Boston struck with 9:08 left in the first period when Krejci took a Lucic feed and streaked down the left wing for a wrister in the circle.

A fluke play put the home team up 2-0 with less than 20 seconds on the clock. Seidenberg faked a dump-in from the right side along the boards in the neutral zone but instead pulled Smith out of position and fired into the open net.

Lucic's tap-in of a Krejci pass from the left post at 6:48 of the second period made it 3-0 for the Bruins.

Tampa hit the scoreboard with 4:46 left in the second as Hedman finished off a slick passing play between Sean Bergenheim and Ryan Malone with a high wrister.

Another Smith miscue, this time with a puck that caromed off the boards near his crease, resulted in Boston's fourth goal as Thornton just needed to poke the puck six inches over the goal line with 2:30 remaining.

Game Notes

It was the Bruins' largest margin of victory this season, and the eight goals were the most in one game since an 8-5 victory over Toronto on December 18, 2008...This was the Bolts' largest margin of defeat this season, eclipsing a 6-0 shutout loss at Florida on October 16...Following the contest, the Bruins sent an official statement from general manager Peter Chiarelli refuting earlier reports by multiple outlets that forward Marco Sturm would be traded to the Los Angeles Kings...Boston has won 12 of the last 18 meetings.