Pastrnak's tally sends Bruins past Penguins
BOSTON -- David Pastrnak scored on a breakaway 5:06 into the third period, giving the Boston Bruins their fourth straight win, a 4-3 decision over the slumping Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
Pastrnak took a long pass from Riley Nash between two defenders and went in and beat Matt Murray for his 11th goal of the season.
The goal allowed the Bruins (10-7-4) to escape despite failing to hold leads of 2-0 and 3-1, and also led to Anton Khudobin's fourth straight win in goal.
Khudobin only made 17 saves (eight in the third period), but improved to 7-0-2 on the season and 12-0-2 dating back to late last season. Tuukka Rask, supplanted (apparently temporarily) as the team's No. 1 goaltender, could start Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers before the sizzling Tampa Bay Lightning comes in Wednesday.
The Penguins (11-10-3) have lost three straight and are just 4-7-2 after a 7-3-1 start.
Boston improved to 9-1-2 in its last 12 games against Pittsburgh, 6-0-1 in its last seven at home.
Down 2-0 after one period, the Penguins got a goal and an assist from a dominating Sidney Crosby in a three-goal second period that tied the game after two periods.
David Krejci (one assist), Sean Kuraly and rookie defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also scored for Boston, with rookie Jacob DeBrusk picking up two assists.
Jake Guentzel and Phil Kessel also scored for the Penguins, who got 29 saves from Murray (11-7-1).
The two points gave Crosby, whose goal was originally waved off before a lengthy review overturned the call, 47 in 34 career games against the Bruins.
Grzelcyk became the seventh Bruin to score his first NHL goal this season.
NOTES: C Sidney Crosby played in his 806th game with the Penguins, tying Jaromir Jagr for second place on the team's all-time list, while RW Patric Hornqvist played in his 600th NHL game. ... Boston D Torey Krug, who missed the last three games with an upper body injury, returned after passing a test in warmups, but LW Brad Marchand (undisclosed but a "suspected concussion" according to the Boston Herald) and RW Anders Bjork (undisclosed) both missed their fifth straight. ... The Penguins were without C Evgeni Malkin (upper body) after he was injured Wednesday and RW Carter Rowney, who missed his 14th straight game with an upper body injury, even though he was removed from IR. ... The Pens host the sizzling Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday while the Bruins host the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.