The Boston Bruins have been taking part in hockey for practically a century.
By no means, nonetheless, fairly like this.
David Pastrnak completed off his 14th profession hat trick with a blast by Tristan Jarry with 2:26 remaining to elevate the Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Boston improved to 59-12-5 with the win and is now inside three video games of the NHL’s all-time single-season victory mark of 62 set by Detroit in 1996 and tied by Tampa Bay in 2019. Boston has six video games remaining.
The Bruins, which entered the NHL in 1924, additionally set a franchise report for many factors in a season, transferring previous the 121 factors produced by the 1970-71 crew.
“It’s an ideal accomplishment, but it surely’s onerous whenever you’re proper within the second to embrace it, I suppose perhaps, take pleasure in it,” first-year Boston coach Jim Montgomery mentioned. “I believe after the season is over, we’ll be capable to sit again. It’s historic, what we’re doing. It’s a pleasure to teach these guys.”
Particularly when Pastrnak is on a heater.
The veteran ahead has 10 targets in his final eight video games and 56 on the season, the fifth-highest single-season whole in franchise historical past. His first aim of the sport, a deflection from in entrance, gave him 100 factors for the primary time in his nine-year profession.
“I’ve mentioned many occasions, I’d most likely take 100 (factors) over 50 targets,” Pastrnak mentioned.
This 12 months, Pastrnak did not have to decide on.
The Bruins gained for the ninth time in 10 video games even with captain Patrice Bergeron getting the time without work by turning apart all six Pittsburgh energy performs — together with a 45-second two-man benefit within the second interval — and responding each time the Penguins drew even.
“We’ve been doing that each one 12 months, discovering methods to win video games,” mentioned defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who scored his seventh aim of the season within the first interval. “I really feel like our management and our general crew composure has been good for us. By no means too excessive, by no means too low.”
Bryan Rust scored twice for Pittsburgh, his first multigoal recreation since Feb. 1, 2022, towards Washington. Jake Guentzel’s thirty fifth of the season with 7:30 left in regulation tied the sport. Jarry stopped 31 photographs however could not get a deal with Pastrnak’s one-timer from the slot within the remaining minutes.
“We bought higher as the sport went on,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby mentioned. “I believe that we had our possibilities to get the lead and clearly particular groups are a giant a part of at the moment. But when the ability play will get one, it’s the distinction within the recreation. They’re a very good crew and that’s a advantageous line.”
The Bruins wrapped up the franchise’s fourth Presidents Trophy with a victory over Columbus on Thursday and are not shying away from a shot at placing collectively the best common season in NHL historical past.
Nonetheless, with dwelling ice all through the playoffs assured, Montgomery gave Bergeron an opportunity to relaxation to deal what Montgomery referred to as nagging accidents.
Irrespective of. The machine rolled on as Boston jumped on Pittsburgh’s errors.
The Bruins went 2 for 3 on the ability play whereas the Penguins struggled to generate a lot of something even once they had the person benefit. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman completed with 21 saves to win his fifth straight begin.
“We’ve bought to discover a technique to recover from it,” Sullivan mentioned. “It’s a troublesome technique to lose tonight. A troublesome technique to lose. And that stings when the video games have a lot which means like they do that time of 12 months.”
Pittsburgh rallied from a one-goal deficit 3 times, the final on Guentzel’s shot from the slot with 7:30 to play.
But an opportunity to earn no less than some extent within the standings by pushing the sport to extra time vanished when Pastrnak’s second hat trick of the season moved him right into a tie with Cam Neely for second on the franchise’s all-time hat trick record behind solely Phil Esposito’s 26.
“Nice gamers on this league, they need to be on the market in huge moments,” Montgomery mentioned of Pastrnak. “He desires to be on the market, he desires to be the man with the puck on his stick.”
UP NEXT
Bruins: Go to St. Louis on Sunday.
Penguins: Welcome cross-state rival Philadelphia on Sunday night time.
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Extra AP: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://www.twitter.com/AP_Sports
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