BOSTON — Jake DeBrusk probably should be given a pass. He just turned 21 in October and this is his first season in the NHL. He’ll learn.

While excited about heading home to Edmonton to spend his three-day holiday break, the Boston Bruins’ rookie winger was also a little disappointed about having to shut down after the 3-1 victory Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

“I don’t necessarily look forward to it,” DeBrusk said, “because we’ve been going well lately (four straight wins, extending streaks to 7-1-1 in their last nine and 13-3-1 in the last 17). You’d like to keep the games coming.”

Saturday’s game was the Bruins’ fourth in six days, which followed a three-games-in-four-nights conclusion to the previous week – seven games in 11 days entering the break.

“It’s been a grind, every single night,” said defenseman Brandon Carlo, who is staying in Boston over the break rather than risk travel issues getting to or from his home in Colorado. “This month’s been pretty hectic for us.

“I think all the guys will use the (break) wisely, to kind of regroup mentally and physically … the mental aspect of getting away from the game is really important as well.”

Although also 21 and a Western Hockey League alum like DeBrusk, Carlo didn’t have the benefit of a full professional season season before reaching the NHL. After three 72-game WHL seasons, he jumped into a longer but also more compact 82-game NHL schedule last year.

“It’s crazy to think that at this point last year (Saturday was the Bruins’ 34th game of the season), we had even more games (36) under our belt,” Carlo said. “It was hard coming from junior, where you played 72 games, and there were different aspects to the travel.

“I feel like last year was kind of a good steppingstone (to this season) as far as learning how to handle myself as a pro.”

DeBrusk turned pro last year with the Providence Bruins, playing an 80-game AHL schedule. He got into 74 regular-season games and 17 more in the playoffs, but his first experience with an NHL schedule has been an adjustment.

“I’ve played long seasons before,” he said, “but at the same time this is at a different level. You can see guys feeling it in the back-to-back games, especially. It’s tough when a team is waiting for you, fresh (Detroit hadn’t played since Wednesday), and you’ve just won your last game in overtime.”

THE BRUINS won’t touch the ice again until a Wednesday morning skate. They meet the Ottawa Senators that night at home, then leave immediately after the game for a Thursday night date at Washington, then finish a three-games-in-four-nights return with a Saturday night visit to Ottawa.

BRAD MARCHAND’S two assists Saturday pushed him to 199 with the Bruins. … In addition to his two goals, Patrice Bergeron won 15 of 20 faceoffs. … Riley Nash, who returned after missing Thursday’s game because of illness, won 12 of 18 draws. … With Ryan Spooner also recovered from illness, Frank Vatrano was a healthy scratch. … The Bruins kept defenseman Adam McQuaid (broken fibula) on injured reserve and scratched Paul Postma for the sixth straight game and 22nd time in 34 games this season.