Nov 25, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug (47) celebrates his game winning goal with teammate left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the overtime period of their 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins had to take it to overtime for their third straight game to squeak past the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins once again went to their three forward-one defenseman overtime alignment, it proved to be the difference again tonight. Torey Krug received a great pass from Brad Marchand, and was able to slip high over Marc-Andre Fleury. This gives Boston their second straight overtime win. Krug received first star honors for his play throughout the game and his overtime winner.
The teams played to their strengths during the game. The Bruins played their defensive minded strategy, and the Penguins played their all guns blazing offense. Whenever the team didn’t play to their identities is when trouble occurred. The Penguins allowed two goals in the first period (courtesy of Loui Eriksson and Carl Soderberg), and it seemed the Bruins were firing on all cylinders.
The Bruins have a bad tendency to get suddenly sloppy with a two goal lead. Tonight was no exception. James Neal took advantage of some sloppy Boston play to put one on the net with just thirty seven seconds used in the second period to get the Penguins back in the game. Neal would repeat this performance half way through the third period to get them tied up two-two. The Bruins countered three minutes later, when ‘Big Z’, (a.k.a. Zdeno Chara) got some help from the Krejci line to get the Bruins back into the lead with 5:15 left in regulation. The Bruins appeared to have the game safetly locked up when a literal last second shot by Sidney Crosby(his thirteenth of the season) got past Tuukka Rask with two-tenths of a second left in regulation.
Tuukka Rask once again was the big difference for the Bruins, he stopped twenty eight of thirty one last night. Some of those goals required Rask to be at his very best, and the Vezina hopeful did not disappoint. Tuukka Rask was awarded third star of the night for his performance. The Bruins now hold a more comfortable three point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division and over the Penguins in the Eastern Conference.