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Bruins Beat Coyotes, 4-1

BOSTON -- The Bruins cruised to their seventh victory in eight games under interim coach Bruce Cassidy, scoring three goals in the second period and downing the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Arizona's Alexander Burmistrov was removed from the ice on a stretcher after receiving a high hit by Bruins defenseman Colin Miller in the second period.

As the stretcher left the ice, the veteran gave two thumbs up and the crowd cheered. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Miller, who scored a first-period goal, was ejected.

It was the 10th straight victory for the Bruins (33-24-6) over the Coyotes (22-33-7), who haven't won in Boston since 2009.

Red-hot Brad Marchand set up one goal and scored another late in the second period and Miller, Riley Nash (first short-handed goal of his career) and David Backes all scored for the Bruins.

Patrice Bergeron had two assists and has 21 points in the last 14 games, while Marchand has 23 over that same span.

Boston chased goaltender Mike Smith (3-12 lifetime against the Bruins) on four goals on 14 shots in two periods -- three of the last four shots he faced going in.

Tuukka Rask stopped 22 shots for his 30th win of the season -- his fourth straight 30-win season.

Peter Holland scored for the Coyotes.

Burmistrov had just made a pass when Miller glided into him and appeared to rise up to make contact with the head. Burmistrov went to the ice and lay motionless for several minutes.

Medical personnel arrived and worked on Burmistrov before strapping him to the stretcher and wheeling him away.

Arizona's Jakob Chychrun jumped on Miller at center ice -- Miller receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging while Chychrun got a two-minute roughing minor.

Miller gave the Bruins an early lead with his fifth goal of the season, but Holland tied it on a power-play wraparound before Nash converted during the three-minute power play that resulted from the hit on Burmistrov.

Marchand set up Backes' second goal in the past 20 games with 1:55 left in the second. With 11 seconds remaining in the middle period, Marchand stole the puck from Alex Gologoski, went in alone and went around the net before beating Smith on a wraparound.

NOTES: LW Teemu Pulkkinen, acquired from the Minnesota Wild Monday, joined his new team but did not dress. ...Bruins GM Don Sweeney met the media 30 minutes before the game and said, "nothing is imminent" on the trade front. ... The Coyotes play the second game of their three-game trip at Buffalo on Thursday night, while the Bruins play the second of three straight home games, against the New York Rangers, also Thursday. ... Tuesday was First Responders Night at TD Garden.

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