Rust scores in OT, Pens edge Bruins for 7th straight win
PITTSBURGH -- Bryan Rust scored in overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena for their season-high seventh win in a row.
Rust took a feed from Evgeni Malkin and lofted a backhander past Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask 1:24 into the overtime period.
The Penguins (20-7-3) also have won a season-best sixth straight win at home, where they are 13-2-1.
Boston (16-12-3) has lost four of its past five. It had been 7-0-1 in its past eight games against Pittsburgh.
The teams played to a 2-2 tie through two periods, trading goals by Boston's Brad Marchand, Pittsburgh's Justin Schultz, Boston's David Krejci and Pittsburgh's Nick Bonino.
The Penguins broke the tie on Conor Sheary's first power-play goal of the season. He redirected in a shot from the left point by Brian Dumoulin for Pittsburgh's first lead, 3-2, at 9:02 of the third.
Boston answered when David Pastrnak caught goalie Matt Murray out of the crease and scored into a gaping net to make it 3-3 at 13:20. It was Pastrnak's 19th goal, second behind the Penguins' Sidney Crosby in the NHL.
With 54.3 seconds left in the third, Rask made a left pad save on Sheary, who had a breakaway, to preserve the tie in a game that produced 78 shots -- 42 by Boston -- through regulation.
Rask finished with 33 saves while Murray made 41.
Marchand gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 10:48 of the first with a shot from the top of the slot that squeaked through the pads of Murray. It came on the Bruins' 11th shot, with Pittsburgh stuck on three at that point.
Just over two minutes later, a couple members of Pittsburgh's top line figured in on the tying goal.
Schultz, a defenseman, was alone coming down the right wing. He got a cross-ice pass from Sidney Crosby, took a second to assess, then blasted a wrist shot far side past Rask at 12:49. Sheary also got an assist.
Boston regained the lead, 2-1, at 2:40 of the second when Krejci got to a bouncing rebound in the crease and slid it past Murray's left skate.
The Penguins tied it 2-2 at 9:47 of the second during a power play. Bonino faked a shot from the slot, then knocked the puck past Rask. Murray got his second assist of the season on the play.
NOTES: Boston D Zdeno Chara played in his 1,300th NHL game. ... Boston placed F Matt Beleskey (right knee) on IR and recalled D Matt Grzelcyk from Providence of the AHL. Grzelcyk made his NHL debut, as Boston scratched D Colin Miller, C Danton Heinen and D Joe Morrow. ... Penguins G Matt Murray started for the fourth game in a row, the first time he has started that many straight games this season. ... The Penguins scratched C Eric Fehr and D Steve Olesky. ... Pittsburgh closes its three-game homestand Friday against Los Angeles. ... It was the first of back-to-back games for the Bruins, who play at home Thursday against Anaheim. ... The Penguins, who won the Stanley Cup in June, ranked first in the NHL and third among U.S.-based pro sports franchises in Google's annual Search Trends list, which highlights the people and topics that captured the world's attention this year.