Bruins 3, Penguins 2
Captain Zdeno Chara scored with 13 seconds remaining in the third period to snap a tie as host Boston rallied to win in a game that saw Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik exit on a stretcher.
After David Krejci forged a 2-2 tie with 1:29 left in the third, Chara capped the comeback as his wrist shot from the high slot sailed over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury (18 saves). Reilly Smith also tallied and Tuukka Rask turned aside 28 shots for the Bruins, who defeated the Penguins for the second time in 13 days and improved to 11-3-1 in their last 15 games.
Chris Kunitz netted his sixth goal in five contests and matched a career high with a seven-game point streak. James Neal scored a power-play goal and defenseman Matt Niskanen notched two assists as the Penguins saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.
The game was physical from the start as the Bruins' Loui Eriksson was blasted by Orpik on the first shift of the contest and missed the remainder of the tilt. Midway through the first period, Neal delivered a knee to the head of Boston's Brad Marchand while he was on the ice, prompting Shawn Thornton to take issue with Orpik. The Bruins enforcer grabbed the defenseman from behind and slew-footed him before unleashing two uncontested punches to the head to cause Orpik to be stretchered off the ice.
After serving his kneeing penalty, Neal exited the box and reeled in a brilliant diagonal stretch pass from Niskanen before beating Rask for his 10th goal - and eighth in eight games - at 13:13 of the first period. The slim advantage held until late in the third as Krejci beat Fleury from the slot.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Thornton was assessed a 10-minute match penalty for his actions against Orpik, who was alert and conscious at Massachusetts General Hospital before returning to the team and traveling back to Pittsburgh. ... With Pittsburgh on the power play, Kunitz opened the scoring at 6:33 as his shot caromed off Chara and into the net for his team-leading 17th goal. Smith answered on his team's first shot at 10:13 of the session, when he one-timed C Patrice Bergeron's short feed past Fleury from the left faceoff circle. ... The Penguins went 2-for-7 on the power play and are 10-for-23 in their last six contests.