BOSTON — After 56 anxious minutes, the Bruins broke the game open late.
Boston scored the only two goals of the third period to pull away for a 4-1 win over the Devils on Saturday at TD Garden.
The Bruins head on the road for a three-game trip beginning with a rematch against the Blues on Tuesday.
The Bruins were outshot 21-9 through the first two periods, but still headed to the second intermission up 2-1.
Fraser Minten scored his first goal in almost a month to open the scoring. He was starting to retreat out of the zone when Mark Kastelic picked Simon Nemec’s pocket on the right wing boards. Minten changed course and Kastelic fed him in the slot. Minten dropped to his knee as he unloaded a shot past Jake Allen to make it 1-0 with 2:18 left in the first.
The celebration was short-lived. Timo Meier beat Swayman, 57 seconds later to make it 1-1 after the first.
The Devils left Morgan Geekie open just off the post to Allen’s right early in the second period. Elias Lindholm got him the puck and Geekie snapped it home for his 22nd goal of the season.
Casey Mittelstadt sealed the win on a pretty tic-tac-toe exchange. From high in the zone, Viktor Arvidsson fed Pavel Zacha off the right post. He immediately redirected it to Mittelstadt who was attacking off the other post. Mittelstadt snapped by Allen, who was late recovering with 3:35 left.
Andrew Peeke added an empty-netter to seal it.
Jeremy Swayman made 29 saves in the win.