By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
The Boston Bruins were ahead 3-0 past the halfway point of the game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston took a two-goal lead into the second intermission and was leading 4-3 with a little over half the third period remaining. But despite all of that, the Penguins walked away with a 5-4 overtime victory. After missing out on the important extra point, the Bruins’ record stands at 35-22-6 with 19 games remaining in the regular season.
First Period
After surviving an early surge from the Penguins during the first half of the opening frame, the Bruins struck first on the power play. After a terrific pursuit by Elias Lindholm kept the puck in the offensive zone, Morgan Geekie accepted a pass from Charlie McAvoy at the edge of the left faceoff circle. The forward quickly sent a cross-ice feed to Pavel Zacha, who had his stick raised in the right faceoff circle. Zacha’s one-timer zipped past Arturs Silovs to give Boston the 1-0 lead near the halfway point of the initial period.
On the second of a back-to-back, Joonas Korplisalo got the start between the pipes for the Bruins. And despite Pittsburgh generating multiple high-danger chances and establishing quality zone time for much of the period, especially at even strength, Korpisalo stayed firm and kept the Penguins off the scoreboard during the first frame.
Second Period
After some impressive saves by Korpisalo in the middle of the contest, the Bruins’ second line got to work. From the right corner, Viktor Arvidsson delivered a perfect pass to Zacha in the slot. The centerman made a phenomenal forehand backhand maneuver to get Silovs out of position. Zacha then buried the puck into the gaping cage to give Boston an insurance score.
Later in the period, Erick Karlsson just missed roofing a goal after a slick puck-handling effort. Right after, David Pastrnak’s hustle avoided an icing call. And with Silovs behind the net, Pastrnak gained possession of the puck. The winger quickly shoved a backhanded wraparound goal off the Pittsburgh goaltender, who was desperately diving forward in the crease.
Later on, back-to-back Boston penalties gifted Pittsburgh a five-on-three power play over a minute and a half. Egor Chinakhov ripped a slot shot past Korpisalo to get the Penguins on the board, but the Bruins survived the ensuing truncated five-on-four and took a 3-1 lead into the final session.
Third Period
During the third frame, the pace was furious, and the goals were aplenty. Two Pittsburgh scores just over 30 seconds apart re-energized the arena and the Penguins. Connor Dewar potted the first on a wicked backhand attempt, and soon after Anthony Mantha beat Korpisalo five-hole on a partial breakaway.
Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm took a timeout after the two-goal surge, and Boston responded. A good forecheck by the Bruins’ second line again got things going for Boston. An Arvidsson pass from below the goal line reached Zacha, who was open in the slot. The centerman drilled a goal to give the lead back and collect his second hat trick of the season.
But the Penguins were not done. Mantha again buried the equalizer, this time by banging home a rebound past Korpisalo. The intensity reached a fever pitch as regulation ended with both teams having lit the lamp four times.
Overtime
In the extra session, McAvoy lost the puck directly to Tommy Novak in the slot. Novak buried the prime-scoring chance to grab the extra point for Pittsburgh.
While the Penguins did outshoot Boston 39-28, the Bruins left another point on the table. They could not hold onto the 3-0 advantage or the 4-3 lead in the third period. Boston cannot afford to be coughing up points at this stage of the season, especially to teams they are jockeying with for playoff position.
The Bruins must find a way to improve their play on the road. This is seriously hindering their playoff chances, and they finish up the regular season with more road games than home contests.
The Bruins will be back home Tuesday night to take on the Los Angeles Kings. If you want to see the Black and Gold in person at TD Garden or on the road before the season ends, consider using this official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link here for the most competitive concert and sporting event tickets in the North American region.
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