BOSTON (AP) — Riley Nash scored a short-handed goal after Colin Miller was ejected for a bone-rattling hit that sent Arizona’s Alexander Burmistrov to the hospital, and the Boston Bruins pulled away with a three-goal second period to beat the Coyotes 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Miller was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for knocking Burmistrov out of the game in the second period. The Coyotes center remained motionless on the ice for several minutes but gave a thumbs-up with both hands as he was wheeled off on a stretcher.
The Coyotes said he was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
Boston has won six of seven games since firing coach Claude Julien and replacing him with Bruce Cassidy.
Tuukka Rask stopped 22 shots for the Bruins. Mike Smith stopped just 10 of Boston’s 14 shots in the first two periods. He was replaced at the start of the third by Louis Domingue, who had 11 saves.
Burmistrov, 25, is a 2010 first-round draft pick from Russia who has one goal and 10 assists this season. He had received a pass and just sent the puck along when Miller came into him sideways and knocked him down.
Burmistrov landed on his back and rolled partially onto his side, but otherwise did not move as first the Coyotes and then the Bruins medical staffs came out to tend to him.
Miller was immediately set upon by Arizona defenseman Jakob Chychrun, but the officials broke in before it could get too far.
Miller was given five minutes for charging and thrown out of the game, and Chychrun was given two minutes for roughing. Nash broke a 1-1 tie about three minutes later, and David Backes and Brad Marchand added goals at the end of the second period.
Backes kept the puck in the zone, flipped it behind the net and then drifted over to the middle of the ice, where Marchand found him. A quick wrist shot beat Smith to make it 3-1 with just under two minutes left in the second.
Then, with just 11 seconds left in the period, Marchand intercepted a pass at the blue line and skated behind the net, leaving Smith spread-eagled and out of position. The Bruins forward came around the other side and slipped the puck behind the goalie to give Boston a 4-1 lead.
Miller had a goal in the first period for Boston. Peter Holland scored for Arizona 3:27 into the second period.
NOTES: The Bruins have scored first in their last six games. … Arizona has lost the last nine games between the teams.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: Visit Buffalo on Thursday night.
Bruins: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
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