The goals came in bunches on Causeway Street Thursday night.
But the Boston Bruins played right into the Pittsburgh Penguins’ hands, embarking on a track meet during their first meeting of the season.
The defensive structure that the Bruins established during their four-game win streak went haywire. Between that and Jeremy Swayman being prone to relinquishing juicy rebounds, the Penguins crashed the net with ease, leading to multiple primary and secondary bids in high-danger areas.
Drew O’Conner notched Pittsburgh’s first-period equalizer on a rebound just 5:19 after Brad Marchand gave the Bruins their first (and only) lead of the night 19 seconds in.