BOSTON – Joe Sacco tried to stick to his normal routine on his first day as interim head coach of the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

But Sacco deviated, wanting to savor a moment that had been in the making since he joined the Bruins as an assistant in 2013.

“I tried to prepare like I normally would,” Sacco said. “It was obviously a different day for me, because I stayed at the rink all day today. That’s one thing. I usually go home between morning skating and the competition. But I stayed at Warrior (Ice Arena) today and was able to just relax and clear my thoughts. I also wanted to try to enjoy the evening because I knew it was the first and to make sure I remembered.

Sacco’s first time as head boss behind the Bruins bench was even more memorable since he got the result he wanted. The Bruins returned to their tough identity and defeated the Utah Hockey club for a narrow 1-0 victory at TD Garden.

It wasn’t Sacco’s first win as a head coach. The 2010 Jack Adams Award finalist compiled 130 wins during his four seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. But there’s no doubt the 55-year-old Medford, Massachusetts native holds his first win with the Black and Gold in high regard.

“It feels pretty good. Obviously I’m not going to lie to you,” Sacco said. “But it was even more important for our guys to win, to feel better about themselves. And I think the way we approached the game tonight was a business-like approach.”

Sacco said he was given the puck as a souvenir after the game. Bruins captain Brad Marchand was more than happy to hand it over it. And with Sacco and the Bruins coming out on top in the first game since the franchise fired Jim Montgomery, it created some much-needed good vibes within the team.

“It’s great for Joe to get his first win as coach of this team,” Marchand said. “Very happy for him. He’s an incredible coach and a great guy. Definitely a fun evening.”

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Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Utah game:

— Elias Lindholm scored the only goal of the game when he put down a rebound on the power play with 7:19 left in the second period — Marchand and David Pastrnak assisted on the goal. The count helped get the proverbial monkey off Lindholm’s back as he had not scored since the third game of the season.

“It was huge,” Lindholm said. “It’s been a few tough games for me. Obviously I didn’t play well enough. Hopefully that can help a little and build some confidence.”

— The Bruins turned to Joonas Korpisalo in net and he delivered a standout performance. Korpisalo stopped all 21 Utah shots that came his way and earned his second shutout this month.

— The Bruins converted just one of their seven power-play chances, but they looked more organized and got several good scoring looks on the man advantage. Sacco said he adjusted Jim Montgomery’s power play system by moving Marchand lower and closer to the net.

— Bruins forward Mark Kastelic was in a combative mood after Monday’s loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets due to a lower-body injury. He twice tangled with Utah’s Robert Bortuzzo and after settling for a draw in the first fight, Kastelic unleashed his “rage” and beat the veteran defender in the second go-around.

— The Bruins will look to make it two straight wins when they take on the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Puck drop from Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.