Boston Bruins
Bruins Postgame: Pastrnak Shines, Bruins Beat Leafs 4-3 In OT
David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists, and Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored the overtime winner with 7.2 seconds left as the Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 4-3.
The Bruins bent but didn’t break twice in this one. First, they blew a 2-0 lead when Max Domi scored 2:11 into the third period, and then they blew a 3-2 lead when Auston Matthews scored with 5.7 seconds left in regulation. However, it was the Bruins who had the momentum in the extra frame as they outshot the Leafs 11-5 and won the game on Marchand’s eighth goal of the season.
Trent Frederic and Kevin Shattenkirk also scored for the Bruins, and Linus Ullmark made 37 saves.
Matthews had two goals for the Leafs, and Max Domi also scored. Joseph Woll made 33 saves.
Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Bruins Postgame:
CLUTCH: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak continued to have a Hart Trophy-worthy season with his 12th multi-point game of the season. Pastrnak had a goal, two assists, and a game-high 10 shots on net. As mentioned above, Pastrnak took a feed from Brandon Carlo as he blew into the offensive zone and shot a laser past Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll to make it 1-0 Bruins.
Ravioli Ravioli give me Pasta fagioli!
A dart by Pastrnak and the #NHLBruins strike first!
— Drop the Mitts Hockey (@DropMittsHockey) December 3, 2023
Pastrnak then helped put the Bruins up 2-1 as he found Kevin Shattenkirk cutting to the short side of the net and sent a seed to the rushing defenseman.
Shattenkirk's FIRST as a Bruin! #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/Lzu4A5Cmyb
— NESN (@NESN) December 3, 2023
He then assisted on the overtime winner by Marchand after being stuffed on a breakaway.
AYE AYE, CAPTAIN 🫡
Brad Marchand wins it for the @NHLBruins with his @Energizer overtime winner! pic.twitter.com/RB8ns9SE6R
— NHL (@NHL) December 3, 2023
BANGER: The knock on Brandon Carlo from a solid portion of the Bruins fanbase is that he is not physical enough, given his 6-foot-5, 217-pound frame. Well, consider this puck scribe in disagreement because Carlo, in my eyes, is one of the better shutdown defensemen in the NHL. Not only did he show that on Saturday night with four hits and a blocked shot, but he also chipped in offensively as well, assisting on David Pastrnak’s goal 10:44 into the first period.
DOGHOUSE:Â We’ve got a player and a team in the doghouse after this game. The team is the Boston Bruins, with the opponents’ goalie pulled as they try to protect a lead in the waning moments of a game. For the fourth time this season, the Boston Bruins allowed a goal while their opponent had the goalie pulled for an extra attacker. This time, it was Auston Matthews who, just as he did earlier in the game, took advantage of the chaos in front of the Bruins’ net and tied the game at three with 5.7 ticks left in regulation.
AUSTON MATTHEWS WITH 5.7 SECONDS LEFT!!! pic.twitter.com/b4Gr1XMmkH
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 3, 2023
As I tweeted following his senseless hit on Boston Bruins rookie center Matt Poitras 16:03 into the first period, Reaves has really become an embarrassment and the bully that no one is afraid of anymore. There was simply no need for Reaves to finish this hit, and he did it with the referees looking right at him. Nobody on the Bruins was going to bite on his silliness, and Reaves handed the Bruins a powerplay that, thankfully for him and the Maple Leafs, the Bruins couldn’t convert.
Ryan Reaves to the box for this hit pic.twitter.com/0oiLwEuyeB
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 3, 2023
UNSUNG HERO: Linus Ullmark was back in Vezina form after two straight losses and after allowing nine goals on 60 shots. Ullmark was huge for the Bruins in overtime as he made five saves to give the Bruins a chance to win it. He finished the game with 37 saves, and not one of the Maple Leafs’ three goals could be pinned solely on him. There was constant chaos in front of him, and if not for him, the Bruins likely wouldn’t even get a point in this game.
Boston Bruins Lineup
Forwards
Jake DeBrusk-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Danton Heinen
James van Riemsdyk-Matt Poitras-Trent Frederic
Jakub Lauko-Morgan Geekie-Oskar Steen
Defensemen
Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort-Kevin Shattenkirk
Goalies
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman