Talking Points: Pastrnak (Hat Trick), Bruins Beat Penguins 4-3

The Boston Bruins beat a potential first round playoff opponent on Saturday in Pittsburgh as they withstood three rallies from the Pittsburgh Penguins and won 4-3 on a David Pastrnak hat trick goal with 2:26 left in regulation.

Here’s your BHN Talking Points:

GOLD STAR: For the second time in his team’s last four games, Boston Bruins superstar winger David Pastrnak is your BHN Gold Star of the game. Just as he did when he got the nod here last Sunday and eclipsed the 50-goal mark with his 50th and 51st goals, Pastrnak lit the lamp twice on Saturday, but also added another for his second hat trick of the season. Pastrnak’s first goal of the game at 1:41 of the first period gave him 100 points for the first time in his NHL career, just one season after he fell one shy of the century mark.

Pastrnak is also the first player to surpass the 100-point mark since former Bruins captain Joe Thornton in the 2002-03 season, and the first player to get 102 points since Adam Oates got 112 in 1993-94. With his second goal of this game, Pastrnak became the first Boston Bruins player since Cam Neely in the 1989-90 regular season to hit the 55-goal mark. His hat-trick was the 14th of his career and ties him with Neely for the second-most in Bruins history behind only Phil Esposito who had 26.

David Pastrnak takes the lead back for Boston with his second goal of the game and 55th on the season. Fantastic play by Grzelcyk to get the play started #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/cd251t1wYX

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) April 1, 2023

BLACK EYE: The Boston Bruins blew not one, not two, but three one-goal leads in this game. If they play the Penguins in the opening round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs two weeks from Monday, they can’t allow that to happen. The Bruins are clearly a superior team to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Penguins aren’t pushovers. They also have warriors like Sidney Crosby (one assist on Saturday), Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, that will never let their team be out of a 1-2, even three-goal deficit.

TURNING POINT: Pastrnak’s third goal gave the Bruins a lead they finally didn’t give up, and it was an absolute seed off a one-timer feed from David Krejci!

HAT TRICK FOR PASTA 🍝

David Pastrnak's 56th goal of the season gives Boston the edge over Pittsburgh 💪 pic.twitter.com/Z93NNZWuAW

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 1, 2023

HONORABLE MENTION: With no Patrice Bergeron in the lineup Sunday, Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha moved off the left wing of the Czech line (with David Krejci and Pastrnak), and slotted into the 1C spot on the top line between Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. However, as the game went on, Zacha found himself skating with Krejci and Pastrnak again, and after assisting on a Charlie McAvoy powerplay goal at 6:20 of the first period, Zacha got assists on Pastrnak’s second and third goals. Zacha now has 35 assists to go with 18 goals in75 games this season.

Zacha’s assist on McAvoy’s powerplay goal was some sick sauce!

PAVEL ZACHA GETS THE DIVING ASSIST! 😳

📺: @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/4ktJzfpxHX pic.twitter.com/n2LwK7LXka

— NHL (@NHL) April 1, 2023

BY THE NUMBERS: 4 – The amount of wins the Bruins need to break the all-time win mark (62 games), in an NHL regular season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “Yeah. I mean, we know they fighting for playoffs, and they are a great team. So, we knew it was gonna be a tough game here today. Especially without our captain so it’s a big win for us.” – David Pastrnak on what this win meant for the Boston Bruins.