Nikita Zadorov's $24,600,000 Bruins teammate makes feelings known on playing alongside his new D-man duo

Nikita Zadorov and the Boston Bruins lost 1-0 to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday. Filip Gustavsson stopped all 28 shots for his fourth shutout of the season. The Wild had lost three straight games before this win.

Frederick Gaudreau scored the only goal early in the second period. He redirected a wrist shot from Marcus Johansson past Jeremy Swayman, who made 21 saves for the Bruins.

Boston had won 3-2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. However, they have now lost six of their last seven games. Captain Brad Marchand was not in the lineup after getting an upper-body injury in Pittsburgh. His absence hurt the team as they struggled to generate offense. David Pastrnak’s 17-game point streak also ended in this game.

Despite the loss, Brandon Carlo has shared his thoughts on playing with Nikita Zadorov. The Boston Bruins defenseman, who has a six-year, $24.6 million contract, praised Zadorov’s skating and consistency. Carlo said Zadorov stays steady and plays the same way every shift.

(3:11) "It’s been great. He’s a phenomenal skater and the way he moves around the ice has been impressive. I feel like we’ve been reading off each other well and closing plays effectively.

"But overall, his confidence is something I’m learning from. I appreciate playing with guys like that—regardless of what happens on one shift, he comes out the next shift and plays the same way. I have a lot of respect for him and his game, and I feel like we’re finding our groove together," Carlo said.

Brandon Carlo also saw positives in the team’s defensive play.

“I think both teams played a strong defensive game,” Carlo said (via NHL.com). “They got one more than we did but I liked our effort throughout the D-zone."

The Bruins will try to bounce back against the Nashville Predators on March 4.

Nikita Zadorov’s performance helped Bruins get their first win after 4 Nations break

Nikita Zadorov had an assist in the Boston Bruins’ win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He recorded two shots on goal in 24:19 minutes of ice time and finished with a rating of 1.

David Pastrnak scored first at 1:32 of the first period on a pass from Pavel Zacha. Mason Lohrei made it 2-0 on a power play.

In the third period, Pastrnak missed a penalty shot. Anthony Beauvillier scored short-handed to make it 2-1. Charlie Coyle added an empty-net, short-handed goal at 19:19 for a 3-1 lead. Rickard Rakell scored on a power play at 19:38, making it 3-2.

Joonas Korpisalo made 31 saves for Boston to end a five game losing streak.