The TD Garden was buzzing with anticipation on January 10, 2026, as the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers took the ice for another chapter in their storied Original Six rivalry. What unfolded was a spectacle that left fans, broadcasters, and players alike shaking their heads in disbelief—a game that will be etched in the annals of NHL history for its wild swings, statistical milestones, and, above all, a relentless Bruins onslaught.
It all started with a flash of blue. Just 1:24 into the contest, Mika Zibanejad silenced the Boston crowd by converting a slick backhanded feed from Artemi Panarin, putting the Rangers up 1-0. For a fleeting moment, it looked as though the Rangers, fresh off their Winter Classic triumph, might finally be turning the corner after a rocky stretch. But that optimism would be short-lived—very short-lived, in fact.
Only 1:07 after Zibanejad’s opener, Bruins rookie Marat Khusnutdinov responded, knotting the score at 1-1 and igniting the home crowd. That goal was just the beginning of a historic afternoon for Khusnutdinov, and, as it turned out, the beginning of the end for the Rangers’ hopes in this game. The Bruins seized momentum and never looked back, launching a six-goal barrage that left the Rangers reeling.
Pavel Zacha was the next to strike, putting Boston ahead with his first goal of the day with 12:44 left in the opening period. The Bruins, skating with confidence and precision, continued to press. But the most bizarre moment of the period—and perhaps the entire season—came in its final seconds. With Boston enjoying a two-man power-play advantage, Zacha fired a shot from the right circle. The puck slipped behind Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick and appeared to be swept away by defenseman Braden Schneider before it crossed the goal line. The horn sounded, signaling the end of the period, and most of the Rangers headed for the locker room, believing they’d dodged a bullet.
But not so fast! The referees, huddled over a tablet near the penalty boxes, initiated a replay review. As the national TV broadcast cut away to the studio and fans milled about in confusion, the officials ruled that the puck had indeed crossed the line before being cleared. Zacha was awarded his second goal of the game, giving Boston a 3-1 lead, and the clock was reset to 32.9 seconds. The officials had to wait for the Rangers to trickle back onto the ice—Quick included—before the final seconds of the first period could actually be played out. Talk about a head-scratcher!
That moment set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Early in the second period, Bruins rookie Fraser Minten extended the lead to 4-1. The Rangers tried to claw back, earning a penalty shot when Charlie McAvoy slashed Vincent Trocheck, but Jeremy Swayman—Boston’s Olympic-bound netminder—stood tall and denied Trocheck’s attempt. The Bruins’ defense was as stifling as their offense was explosive.
Then came the hat tricks. Midway through the second, Khusnutdinov tallied his second of the game, and Zacha soon followed, completing his first career NHL hat trick with 8:34 left in the period. That was the cue for hats to rain down on the ice—though, thanks to the earlier confusion over Zacha’s second goal, there were fewer hats than usual. Still, the celebration was electric, and the rout was on. Jonathan Quick’s rough afternoon came to an end as he was pulled in favor of Spencer Martin after Boston’s sixth goal.
Meanwhile, David Pastrnak was quietly putting together a masterpiece of his own. The Bruins’ star winger racked up assist after assist, orchestrating the offense with dazzling vision and pinpoint passing. By the third period, Pastrnak had collected six assists, tying the Bruins’ single-game record held by legends Ken Hodge and Bobby Orr. Each pass seemed to find a stick in perfect position, and the goals kept coming.
The Rangers, missing their stalwart goaltender Igor Shesterkin and top defenseman Adam Fox for a second straight game, simply had no answers. Their defensive structure, so improved under first-year coach Mike Sullivan, was shredded by Boston’s speed and skill. The Rangers’ woes were compounded by a lack of secondary scoring—despite the chemistry between Zibanejad and Panarin, the rest of the lineup failed to generate sustained pressure. As the Bruins piled on, the TD Garden crowd taunted the visitors with chants of “We want 10!”
They got their wish. In the third period, Khusnutdinov completed his hat trick—and then, with 1:29 remaining, scored his fourth goal of the game, putting an exclamation point on a performance for the ages. According to NHL Stats, Khusnutdinov and Zacha became the first set of Bruins teammates in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to each record a hat trick in the same game, and only the sixth pair overall in franchise history. The Bruins’ 10-2 victory marked the Rangers’ largest margin of defeat and the most goals they’ve allowed all season.
Jeremy Swayman was solid in net for Boston, making 27 saves and denying any hope of a Rangers comeback. The Bruins, meanwhile, have now won four of their last five games and look every bit the contender their fans hoped they would be heading into the heart of the season.
For the Rangers, this was a sobering afternoon. Their 10-2 defeat was not just a statistical outlier but a stark reminder of the challenges they face without two of their most important players. With only two regulation wins in their last 17 games, the Blueshirts find themselves searching for answers as the season threatens to slip away. Captain J.T. Miller, still shaking off the rust after missing time with an upper-body injury, managed a power-play goal in the second period, but it did little to stem the tide or lift the team’s spirits.
In the end, the Bruins’ relentless attack, powered by breakout performances from Khusnutdinov and Zacha and orchestrated by Pastrnak’s historic playmaking, overwhelmed a depleted Rangers squad. The game featured everything: replay drama, penalty shots, fights, and a deluge of goals. It was, in the words of many fans leaving TD Garden, “one for the books.”
The Bruins will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Rangers must regroup quickly if they hope to keep their season from “crashing and burning.” For now, Boston basks in the glow of a record-setting victory—one that won’t soon be forgotten in Beantown.
