The Bruins made easy pickings of the Flyers on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, rubbing out the bedraggled visitors from Philadelphia, 5-1, paced by five different goal scorers — including one by Fraser Minten, who paced the offensive attack with 3 points.
To a large degree, the porous Flyers made easy work of themselves, generating but a popgun offense (15 shots on net) and constantly allowing the Bruins (32 shots) wide-open passage through the neutral zone and into key, high-danger shooting situations.
Now 0-4-2 in the new season, the Flyers face this harsh reality: In the NHL’s century-plus history, only 21 times has a team gone the first six games of the season without a win and still qualified for the playoffs. It last happened in 2008-09, when the Flyers opened 0-3-3.
It was the second win in a row for the Bruins, who left the building with a 4-2-0 mark and headed west for a four-game road swing — beginning Tuesday against the Sharks in San Jose — with confidence restored after recent back-to-back losses to the Wild and Senators.
The Bruins scored a half dozen in Thursday’s 6-1 slapdown of the Mammoth, then followed up with the matinee romp Saturday, paced by goals from Pavel Zacha (No. 1), Mason Lohrei (second), Marat Khusnutdinov (first), Casey Mittelstadt (second) and Minten (second), whose game continues to fill out and flourish after his impressive rookie season of 2025-26. Minten added a pair of assists.
“I would say I really can’t pick one thing,” said coach Marco Sturm, asked to contrast Minten’s game year over year. “Just overall, he was almost like a baby last year and he’s grown into a man.”
After four games, Sturm shaped a new line around Minten, moving Khusnutdinov, previously on his right side, to left wing, and adding JJ Peterka to his right. The trio landed eight shots on net against the Flyers and combined for 6 points (two goals, four assists).
With Zacha now pivoting the No. 1 line with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak, Minten’s line now ranks No. 2 in the offensive order, with Elias Lindholm on a third line again with Mittelstadt and rookie James Hagens.
Jeremy Swayman, who was stellar in the win over the Mammoth with 36 saves, had a much easier afternoon, making 14 stops and tying Andy Moog for eighth place on the franchise’s all-time wins list (136) for netminders.
Zacha registered a career-high 30 goals last season, and finally knocked in his first this season to get the scoring going 12:21 into the first period. Like all Bruins forwards, his speed was noticeably better — again thanks, in part, to the lackadaisical effort by a pliable Flyers’ defense in the neutral zone.
“I think we kept creating the last couple of games,” said Zacha, who remains on the final year of his contract, a free agent come July if the Bruins don’t extend his stay. “And I know it’s eventually going to go in. Every line today was creating a lot of chances and good looks, so it felt good today.”
Lohrei’s goal, his second in as many games, made it 2-0 with 2:48 left in the second, giving the Bruins some breathing room to carry into the final intermission.
Khusnutdinov potted his first of the season to move the margin to 3-0 with 1:55 elapsed in the third, and Porter Martone broke Swayman’s shutout bid at 6:32 on what was only the Flyers’ 10th shot on net in 46-plus minutes. Mittelstadt followed at 9:21 with his second goal of the season to make it 4-1, and Minten closed it out at 15:59, sneaking a doorstep attempt by former Bruins goaltender Dan Vladar on a breakaway.
Overall, it’s a vastly different position for the Bruins than less than a week ago, when the consecutive losses to the Wild and Senators saw them cobble together but two goals over 120 minutes. Five different goal scorers rolled up the six vs. the Mammoth, followed by another quintet vs. the Flyers.
All 12 Boston forwards who suited up for the matinee now have scored at least one goal. The lone forward to remain without one is Sean Kuraly, who was moved out of the lineup after the two losses and replaced by Matthew Poitras as the No. 4 pivot.
Now it’s off to the West, with more help on the way. Franchise defenseman Charlie McAvoy, sidelined the opening six games due to his carryover suspension, will be back in the lineup Tuesday in San Jose.
Sturm will have to figure out who comes out and that’s not an easy decision. The logical answer would be Connor Clifton, but he has been a stout contributor in his pairing with Nikita Zadorov.
Hard decision, for sure. But not as hard after collecting back-to-back wins. The Flyers, meanwhile, only wish they faced such decisions.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.