The Lightning played without their leading goal-scorer, top center Brayden Point, who was scratched for missing a team meeting prior to the morning skate. It forced the team to scramble just to get enough players to fill its roster, recalling 22-year-old forward Jack Finley from AHL Syracuse to make his NHL debut as the 12th forward.

For one night anyone, it felt like old times on Causeway. With bad blood spilling all over TD Garden between two teams that played a week ago, the Boston Bruins sprinted to a 4-0 second period lead and hung on for a 6-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and Parker Wotherspoon scored his first NHL goal to help the Boston Bruins open a four-goal lead and hold on to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2.

Tampa Bay will play their first of four games this season against their Atlantic Division opponent Boston Bruins.

BOS 2, TBL 0 9:30 Parker Wotherspoon (1) - David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha Boston doubled its lead on defenseman Parker Wotherspoon’s first NHL goal. Boston forward David Pastrnak took the puck to the right faceoff circle before feeding the defenseman at the left circle, where the latter scored on his shot.

While the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to move up the Eastern Conference standings, their captain Victor ... behind Boston for the second wild-card spot with two games in hand over the Bruins.

After slipping into an early hole, the Lightning pushed late in the second period but couldn't get a win on Tuesday night in Boston.

The win, paced by early goals from Trent Frederic, Parker Wotherspoon, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak, was the second in a row for the goal-challenged Bruins, who hadn’t won back-to-back games since Dec.

David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each logged a goal and two assists and Jeremy Swayman tied his career-high mark with 43 saves as the Boston Bruins beat the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Being back in the NHL tends to make days sunny again.

Coach Jon Cooper told media postgame that slow starts plagued his team throughout the three-game road trip that ended Tuesday—Tampa Bay trailed in all three games against the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Bruins despite finishing the trip with a 1-1-1 record.

Mason Lohrei scored for the Bruins early in the third to cut Tampa’s lead to 2-1, but Boston would get no closer.