Balanced scoring, quickly becoming a trademark of the 2026-27 Bruins, was the order of the night in Pittsburgh on Thursday as the B’s thumped the flailing Penguins, 6-2.

The B’s got goals from all four lines and Pavel Zacha scored twice to nail down their third straight victory.

The B’s took control with a three-goal first period, snuffed out some brief signs of Penguin life in the second period and coasted in the third to victory.

The only negative was an injury to James Hagens. The rookie took the puck to the net and, when he cut across the crease, defenseman Sam Girard crosschecked him just above the hip near the kidney area. He struggled to get off the ice, dropping to a knee at one point. He was looked at on the bench for a bit before he went to the room wincing in pain.

While Hagens’ status is a concern, the game itself was barely one.

The Bruins controlled much of the first period, outshooting the Penguins 11-5 and three of the four forward lines got on the board.

But the Penguins took the first lead of the game at 9:04 on their first shot. From down low in the Boston zone, Hendrix Lapierre found former Bruin Justin Brazeau in the circle. Brazeau, who was traded to Minnesota for Marat Khusnutdinov at the 2025 trade deadline, quickly rifled a one-timer over Michael DiPietro’s shoulder for the 1-0.

It didn’t last long.

The B’s top line had some excellent early shifts in the game and scored on one in which they won several puck battles along the boards. In the slot, JJ Peterka attempted make a between-the-legs backhand pass to Zacha, who was cutting across the lot slot. It deflected off a Penguin right to David Pastrnak, who completed the pass to its intended target and Zacha buried his fourth of the year at 12:07.

The B’s fourth line was also on top of its game and it put the B’s up by a goal at 15:04. Two players who’d been scratched the at least prior game figure in the scoring. Sean Kuraly, back in the lineup for an injured Matt Poitras (broken nose), lost the offensive zone faceoff but stuck with it. He reached forward and pushed it over to Tanner Jeannot, who in turn moved it up top to Frederic Brunet. Coming off a three-game stretch as a scratch, Brunet stepped up and threw the puck toward the net. Mark Kastelic was there for the deflection home, his third of the year.

The B’s weren’t done as Elias Lindholm’s very good season continues.

The supremely talented Erik Karlsson can be trick or treat at times, and this was one of those times. Karlsson chased down a loose puck in his own zone and turned to send it back up the ice. Instead, he put it on the stick of Lindholm, who had a clear path to the net. He made a move around goalie Arturs Silovs and tucked it home for his sixth.

The Penguins were better in the second period. They especially gained some momentum on a power play on which they did not score but were able to keep up the pressure. They finally cut it to a one-goal deficit at 7:57. After the B’s had some offensive zone time, the B’s were in scramble mode. Kaeden Korczak was left open at the right point and his shot was deflected past DiPietro by Nick Robertson.

Pittsburgh continued to pressure but, after DiPietro was able to freeze the puck to calm things down, the B’s regained the two-goal lead at 14:24.

Pastrnak banked the puck out of the zone up to Peterka, who used his jets to create a 2-on-1 with Zacha. Peterka sent a backhand aerial pass to Zacha, who roofed it out of mid-air.

Then the simmering Morgan Geekie scored for the third time in as many games. With both teams changing, Hampus Lindholm (plus-4) sent a pass into open space in Geekie’s vicinity. The wing gloved it down the puck and move in on a breakaway, beating Silovs with a snap shot at 16:57, his fourth.

Fraser Minten added his sixth of the year in the third at 8:39, a hard rip on a 2-on-1 to send the fans scurrying for the exits.

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