Bruins Beat Red Wings 4-3 In OT
BOSTON -- David Pastrnak ended a 17-game goal-scoring drought with 46.9 seconds left in overtime and the Boston Bruins halted a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Pastrnak, who had 19 goals in his first 26 games but last scored on Dec. 14, fired a one-timer past Jared Coreau to complete a rare comeback for the Bruins, who improved to just 2-16-3 when trailing after two periods.
The play was reviewed for a possible offside, but the goal stood.
The Red Wings suffered their third overtime loss in their last three games. They had rallied to beat the Bruins 6-5 in a shootout last week.
Brad Marchand scored two goals and Kevan Miller also scored for the Bruins, who fired 49 shots -- one off their season high -- at Coreau, who was shelled with three quick goals on eight shots by Boston last week.
Tuukka Rask gave up a soft goal that put the Red Wings in front during the second period but was outstanding in the third and made a big save in overtime.
The Bruins improved to 3-4 in OT and Detroit fell to 3-9.
The win also might have quieted some of the storm clouds above the head of Bruins coach Claude Julien. He has been facing questions concerning his job security with his team, which has missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons.
Mike Green had a goal and an assist, Henrik Zetterberg added two assists and Andreas Athanasiou and Tomas Tatar also scored for the Red Wings.
The Bruins tied the score 8:20 into the third period when Marchand backhanded his second goal of the game by Coreau after the goaltender stopped a Patrice Bergeron shot but failed to control the rebound.
The Red Wings challenged the goal, claiming goalie interference, but there clearly was none and the goal stood.
The Bruins controlled the first period but led only 2-1 after 20 minutes. Miller, who had just come back from missing four games with an upper-body injury, beat Coreau from a sharp angle 3:39 into the game.
The shots escalated to 12-0 for the home team, but Athanasiou took a pass from Green and broke in alone for his 11th goal of the season and sixth in 10 games since being a healthy scratch.
The Bruins got that back when Marchand scored off a scramble with 2:26 left in the first period, but Green's slap-pass deflected in off the left skate of Miller, who was tied up with Tatar in front 6:25 into the second period. Gustav Nyquist notched his 100th career assist on the goal.
Tatar skated down the right wing and flicked one right past Rask at 10:51 of the period.
NOTES: The Red Wings were missing offensive threats C Dylan Larkin (upper body) and Thomas Vanek (lower body), while LW Drew Miller, who cleared waivers Monday, was back in the lineup after not reporting to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. ... Vanek has 31 goals and 65 points in 60 career games against Boston. ... Boston Ds Kevan Miller (upper body) and Colin Miller (lower body) returned to the lineup. ... The Bruins (58.5 percent) and Red Wings (52.6) came into the game Nos. 3-4 in the league in faceoff percentage and Boston C Patrice Bergeron was second at 58.5 percent. ... The Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday, while the Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second game in five nights between the teams on Thursday night.