Bruins beat Wild 6-3 at TD Garden as balanced scoring offsets late Minnesota push

Boston builds early cushion, then closes out late

The Boston Bruins defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-3 at TD Garden on Saturday, March 28, 2026, using multi-goal support across the lineup to withstand a third-period surge that briefly tightened the game.

Boston led 3-0 before Minnesota got on the board late in the second period. The Wild then scored twice in the third to cut the deficit to 4-3, but the Bruins answered with an insurance goal and added an empty-netter in the final minute to secure the three-goal margin.

Scoring summary: defense contributes, Zacha and Lindholm finish

The Bruins opened the scoring 1:01 into the first period when defenseman Andrew Peeke scored, with David Pastrnak and Fraser Minten credited with assists. Boston made it 2-0 at 14:00 of the first on a Pavel Zacha goal assisted by Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittelstadt.

Arvidsson extended the lead to 3-0 at 10:27 of the second period, with Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm assisting. Minnesota responded at 14:46 of the second on a Kirill Kaprizov goal assisted by Ryan Hartman and Brock Faber.

In the third, Elias Lindholm restored a three-goal cushion at 3:48 (assisted by Lukas Reichel and Hampus Lindholm). Minnesota then rallied: Mats Zuccarello scored a power-play goal at 7:57 and Hartman scored at 13:44 to make it 4-3. Boston closed the door with Zacha’s second of the night at 16:50, assisted by Mittelstadt, and Lindholm’s empty-net goal at 19:26, also assisted by Mittelstadt.

• Bruins goals: Andrew Peeke (1), Pavel Zacha (2), Viktor Arvidsson (1), Elias Lindholm (2)
• Wild goals: Kirill Kaprizov (1), Mats Zuccarello (1, power play), Ryan Hartman (1)

Team indicators: faceoffs and timing mattered

Minnesota outshot Boston 34-31, but the Bruins controlled the faceoff circle (56.9% to 43.1%), repeatedly gaining first possession on key draws. The game was physical and penalty-filled, with 20 hits for Boston and 19 for Minnesota, and 13 Bruins penalty minutes compared with 11 for the Wild.

Boston’s five-on-five scoring pace created separation early, while late finishing preserved a win after Minnesota’s third-period push.

What the result means

The win gave Boston a split of the regular-season series against Minnesota. For the Bruins, the game provided a template built on early offense and distributed production, while the Wild showed they could generate pressure late but ultimately could not erase the deficit after falling behind by three.

The Bruins’ ability to answer immediately after Minnesota narrowed the margin—first with Zacha’s late third-period goal, then with the empty-netter—proved decisive in converting a one-goal game into a 6-3 final.