Highlights from the Bruins' 2-1 OT win over Penguins

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FINAL SCORE:  Bruins 2, Penguins 1

FROM JOE HAGGERTY

1)      David Backes and the Bruins seemingly robbed of a goal there in the second period. Backes got a puck near the Pittsburgh net and flicked a shot at the feet of Tristan Jarry that seemed to tangle up the Penguins goalie. It was ruled no goal on the ice as the Pittsburgh goalie did a pretty good job of sitting on the puck with his body, and the ref ruled the play over before Sean Kuraly poked the puck in on a follow-up. Screenshots on the replay seemed to show the puck over the goal line after the Backes shot on net, but the NHL ruled that video replays upheld the “no goal” call on the ice. I don’t know. It was inconclusive at best, and it looks like Backes probably got robbed of his first goal of the season.

2)      David Krejci has really stepped up and played one of his better games of the season with Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup. Krejci has been active in the offensive zone, set up the B’s only goal with a great dish and has at least broken even in the face-off circle while being matched up against some pretty good Penguins players. Krejci, for one night at least, was answering the call while leading the Bruins in shots on net and even threw in a couple of blocked shots for gritty extra measure.

3)      Sneaky dirty and dangerous play by Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maata hopping on Noel Acciari and riding him head-first into the boards in the opening few minutes of the third period. No penalty. No reaction to it from the Bruins. A whole lot of nothing except pain for Acciari, and once again an opposing team is taking liberties with B’s players without anybody in a Black and Gold uniform really doing anything about it. Fighting isn’t a big part of the NHL anymore, but the Bruins need to do something to fight back when this stuff happens.

4)      Joakim Nordstrom continues to be an unsung, invaluable player for the Bruins as he picked up the overtime game-winner for the Bruins. With his four goals on the season, Nordstrom has already surpassed his goal-scoring output from last season and will match last season’s point totals with just two more points scored this season. His goals have been timely as well, as was the play in overtime when he skated across the front of the net and redirected a slap-pass from Torey Krug at the point for the OT winner.

5)      David Pastrnak didn’t have a great night for the Bruins, and was actually kind of invisible with no shots on net in 19 minutes of ice time to go along with a couple of giveaways. But Pastrnak showed up when it mattered in overtime as he kept control of the puck in the offensive zone long enough for the Bruins to set things up, and then he fed Torey Krug the initial pass that Krug rifled into a one-timer slap-pass down low to Joakim Nordstrom for the game-winner. But credit Pastrnak for not getting frustrated during a particularly slow offensive evening for him, and instead the 22-year-old just waited out his chance in OT to break the game open with a pass rather than a goal-scoring shot. 

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BOX SCORE.

BRUINS RECORD: 12-6-4

HIGHLIGHTS:

PENGUINS SCORE FIRST ON MALKIN'S GOAL

DEBRUSK STAYS RED HOT

WAGNER BLOODIED

NORDSTROM GETS THE OT GAME-WINNER

https://twitter.com/mkmolnar/status/1066170156056002560

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