Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored the tying and go-ahead goals within a 50-second span in the first period, leading the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
After Mittelstadt’s deciding tally at 6:00 of the first, Jeremy Swayman helped the lead stand as he finished with a 34-save effort to post his first win since helping Team USA to Olympic gold. The Bruins netminder stopped 15 shots in the second period.
Boston improved to 6-1-3 in its last 10 games and has won 11 in a row at home.
Erik Karlsson scored the lone goal and Stuart Skinner made 26 saves for Pittsburgh, which had recorded points in its first three games since the Olympics (2-0-1).
Pittsburgh had a 35-28 advantage in shots, but finished 0-for-4 on the power play.
After Skinner saved multiple great chances off the opening draw, Karlsson turned the other way and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game. Bryan Rust forced a turnover behind the net and fed the defenseman for a point shot that beat Swayman through traffic.
Boston unsuccessfully challenged the opening tally for goaltender interference, but killed off the ensuing delay of game penalty before flipping the score with two quick-fire goals. Swayman made his first save on an Anthony Mantha breakaway to highlight the kill.
Khusnutdinov tied the game at 5:10, forcing a turnover near the corner and finishing Michael Eyssimont’s pass with a wrister over Skinner’s blocker side.
The go-ahead goal came off the stick of Mittelstadt. After Pavel Zacha won a corner puck battle, Nikita Zadorov took an open wrister from the top of the left circle, creating a rebound that popped out to Middelstadt on the opposite side.
A pair of power plays helped Pittsburgh generate 15 shots on goal in a scoreless second period for both teams. One of the most dangerous chances came on a Kris Letang one-timer with 6:06 left as the second man advantage came to an end.
The visitors continued their surge into the third with the first seven consecutive shots, including a close-range chance from Ben Kindel that defenseman Andrew Peeke swept out of Swayman’s crease at the 5:53 mark. Swayman also made a 1-on-1 stop on Karlsson several minutes later.
–Field Level Media
