Thanks to a Patrice Bergeron power play goal in OT, the Boston Bruins picked up two points against the New York Islanders.
The Boston Bruins looked to make it three straight wins Saturday night against the New York Islanders. The Islanders remain one of the league’s top defensive teams, so the matchup was a tall task for Boston.
After a back-and-forth affair, the teams headed to overtime, which is a house of horrors this season for the Bruins. Before Saturday, the Bruins had zero overtime and shootout wins.
Boston started the overtime strong, and a victory looked in the cards when Brad Marchand drew a penalty. The Bruins capitalized on the 4-on-3 advantage, and Patrice Bergeron scored the overtime winner to secure the two points.
The Bruins finally got their first extra-time win of the season; this one against a top playoff contender on the road. The top power play unit was the big reason why.
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With Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Krug, Boston’s power play continues to fire on all cylinders
It took until overtime against the Islanders, but the Bruins once again managed to score on a power play opportunity. This was the 13th straight game the Bruins scored a power play goal: a new team record.
The streak dates all the way back to Boston’s December 14th victory in Florida, when David Pastrnak picked up what was his 27th goal of the season. Since then, Boston scored 14 more power play goals as part of this streak.
Pastrnak continues to be the driver of Boston’s power play. He leads the NHL with 16 power play goals, most of which he scores from the same spot to the right of the goalie. When he gets off a clean one-timer, there isn’t much any goalie can do.
Bergeron also makes a big difference on Boston’s top power-play unit. He operates that bumper position in the high slot better than anybody else in the league. In this role, Bergeron has eight power play goals: not bad for the best defensive forward in hockey.
When we talk about the power play, we can’t forget about Torey Krug. He runs the unit from up top, and he more than anybody else makes things happen. He has 19 power play points in 38 games this season.
Saturday night in New York was Krug’s 500th game, and with an assist, he now has 319 points in 500 games. Only Erik Karlsson had more points as a defenseman through his first 500 games this century.
Most points in first 500 career games by a defenseman, 21st century:
— Tucker Boynton (@Tucker_TnL) January 12, 2020
1. Erik Karlsson, 402
2. TOREY KRUG, 319
3. P.K. Subban, 318
4. Mike Green, 315
5. Tyson Barrie, 312
Not bad.
Even with recent hot streaks by Tampa Bay and Toronto, the Bruins have a seven-point lead in the Atlantic Division. To maintain this spot, Boston needs that top power-play unit to continue to product at such a high level.