NHL scores 2015: Bruins roll to 5th straight win, Red Wings outlast Blues

Are the Boston Bruins back?

If their game against the New York Rangers on Thursday night was a test for that question, they passed with flying colors. For much of the season, the Bruins have wandered aimlessly in the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. They lacked identity, or at least the identity that most have come to associate them with. There wasn't any bite to their game, and injuries had taken their toll.

Now that the Bruins are healthy, they've hit another gear. The abrasive, defensively dominant effort on Thursday had to be an encouraging sign for both management and the fans. And the Rangers are no slouches, having won 13 of their last 15 games.

The race for the playoffs in the East is getting heated up now that Boston has won five straight. And on a night with three shutouts, the Bruins' victory stood out.

All the NHL Scores

Bruins 3, Rangers 0

Wild 7, Sabres 0

Canucks 4, Flyers 0

Senators 4, Canadiens 1

Lightning 3, Oilers 2

Avalanche 4, Panthers 2

Red Wings 3, Blues 2 (OT)

Jets 2, Stars 1

Flames 4, Coyotes 1

Sharks 3, Maple Leafs 1

1. Detroit is nothing if not resilient. The Red Wings proved last season that they can succeed through even the worst injury bugs and misfortunes. This season they've managed to succeed despite occasionally getting in their own way at times. Detroit blew a two-goal lead in the third period but managed to eke out the extra point with a Pavel Datsyuk overtime goal. The Wings will need that kind of staying power while Jimmy Howard is out with an injury.

2. Ondrej Pavelec is capable of show-stealing games. Pavelec spent the last four years as the whipping boy for every discontent Winnipeg Jets fan, and rightly so. But he was marvelous on Thursday in Dallas, stopping 46 of 47 shots on net while getting absolutely strafed by speeding Stars all night. Winnipeg had no business winning that game, and Pavelec deserves every ounce of credit he's getting. What a performance.

3. Toronto's coach doesn't know about NHL concussion protocols.

Peter Horachek was unsure if David Booth went through the NHL's concussion protocol last night, saying: "What's a concussion test?"

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 16, 2015

Brad Marchand is going to get a call from the NHL Department of Player safety at some point on Friday. Even the most diehard Bruins fan had to know extra discipline was coming after Marchand slew footed Derick Brassard.

GIF: another angle of Marchand/Brassard pic.twitter.com/dVwhq7o65w

— Steph (@myregularface) January 16, 2015

Brassard was unhurt, but the incident set the tone for the rest of the night at TD Garden. Fists flew, questionable boarding plays were made and nobody left the ice in a good mood.

START THE CAR!!!! GET TO THE AIRPORT!!! GET THE HELL OUT OF DALLAS GO GO GO!!!!!

— Jay Richardson (@Jay_Richardson) January 16, 2015

• Arizona's owner wants to blow up the roster soon.
• Jhonas Enroth had a pretty terrible game, but at least this save on an ex-teammate was awesome.
• Finally, this is why you never leave popcorn on the pexiglass ledge at a hockey game.