Boston, MA – The Boston Bruins took care of business by beating an exhausted and struggling New York Rangers team 4-0 at TD Garden on Thursday night. Powered by a full team effort and a shutout performance from rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (15 saves), the Bruins tightened their grip on third place in the MassMutual East division. The Rangers, coming off a physical series against the Washington Capitals, are one game closer to the off-season.

Patrice Bergeron put the Bruins up 1-0 at 7:11 of the first when he one-timed a Brad Marchand pass past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin. Bergeron’s 22nd goal of the season beat Shesterkin top corner, glove-side.

“I think we’re trying to build our game towards the playoffs,” said Bergeron when asked if the Capitals series might have affected the Rangers’ play. “It’s about us and how we’re playing.”

New York’s Ryan Strome was called for Tripping at 16:44, giving the Bruins their second crack at the power-play. This time Charlie McAvoy made the Rangers pay when he deposited a Marchand feed into the same spot as Bergeron did, top left corner, for his fifth goal of the season.

Swayman wasn’t tested a whole lot during the game. The biggest save of the game came in the second period when McAvoy dove across the goal line to keep Vitali Kravtsov from banging in a carom off the boards that Swayman misplayed behind the Bruins goal.

Jake DeBrusk scored his first goal since April 10 when he raced in alone on Shesterkin and flipped the puck up over the Rangers goalie to make it 3-0 Bruins at 14:01. David Krejci and Taylor Hall assisted on DeBrusk’s fifth goal of the season.

Brandon Carlo rounded out the Bruins scoring in the third period when he carried Krejci’s face-off win down the right boards and into the corner when he fired a shot on goal that found its way past Shesterkin for the 4-0 lead. Carlo’s third goal of the year came at 1:07 of the period.

The two teams square off again at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm.