Pens allow 4 straight goals, lose 6-5 to Bruins
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Hampus Lindholm scored at 3:37 of overtime and the Boston Bruins rallied past the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on Tuesday night.
Boston trailed 5-3 entering the third period before scoring the final three goals of the game. Lindholm scored the game-winner with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
"I just love the fight in this team," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "It's incredible. They believe in there."
Pavel Zacha started the Bruins' comeback at 11:59 of the third when he deflected a shot behind Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry. Taylor Hall tied the game with 1:17 to play when he scored from the top of the crease.
"We weren't getting run out of the building by any means," Hall said. "We felt that if we could claw back into the game, that we could put ourselves in a spot."
Charlie Coyle scored his fourth, Brad Marchand added a power-play goal and Jakub Lauko scored his first NHL goal for the Bruins, who won their sixth straight game. Boston was the NHL's best team in October, as the Bruins opened the season 8-1, a franchise record through nine games.
Linus Ullmark was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 23 shots. He re-entered the game in the third period and earned the win after Jeremy Swayman left with a lower body injury.
"To be able to overcome that in this building, against a really good team … that speaks volumes about the guys in that dressing room," Montgomery said.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell all scored their fifth for Pittsburgh. Bryan Rust and Josh Archibald also scored for the Penguins, who lost their fifth straight game and first at home. Pittsburgh started the season 4-0-1, which included three lopsided home wins, before the recent skid, which started during a road trip through Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
The teams will meet again January 2 during the NHL's Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston. Jarry made 34 saves.
"At the end of the day, we have to find a way to win," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "When you get a two-goal lead going into the third, you're in a good position to win. We had opportunities to win, but didn't take advantage of them."
Crosby scored 30 seconds into the game and Coyle tied it for the Bruins at 5:18 of the first. Crosby established the most opening-minute goals in NHL history and Coyle scored his third in as many games.
Lauko gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead at 13:20 with his first NHL goal and Malkin tied it for Pittsburgh at 1:47 of the second period.
Then, Pittsburgh erupted with three goals in 2:54. Archibald put the Penguins back in front, 3-2, with a one-timer from the slot at 8:42. Rust scored at 11:16 from the side of the net and Rakell chased Ullmark 20 seconds later with a shot from the top of the circle.
Patrice Bergeron scored 27 seconds after Rakell, but the goal was overturned on a coach's challenge because of goaltender interference. Marchand scored a power-play goal at 12:57, as Boston trailed 5-3 entering the third period.
CROSBY CLIMBING
Crosby surpassed Hall of Famer Adam Oates for 18th place on the NHL's all-time points list.
Crosby now has 1,421 points. Bryan Trottier is 17th in NHL history with 1,425 points.
Crosby is one assist from becoming the 20th player in NHL to record 900 career assists. Crosby, who has played 1,118 career games, is on pace to become the sixth-fastest in NHL history to reach the milestone. Eight of the top 20 players on the NHL's all-time assists list have played for Pittsburgh.
TOP OF THE LIST
Mike Sullivan coached his 517th game with Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He surpassed Ed Johnston for most games coached in franchise history.
Sullivan, who led Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, is 301-160-56 with the Penguins. Sullivan, the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL, has the most wins in franchise history.
INJURY NOTES
Pittsburgh's Kris Letang and Boston's Charlie McAvoy, two of the NHL's top defensemen, didn't play on Tuesday.
Letang missed with an illness, while McAvoy is working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. McAvoy, a full practice participant on Monday, won't play on Boston's road trip, but the Bruins are hopeful to have him back in the lineup before Thanksgiving.
Bruins F David Krejci missed his second game with an upper body injury. Pittsburgh F Teddy Blueger (upper body) missed his 10th game, while Jeff Carter sat out with a lower body injury.
Also, Bruins D Derek Forbort left in the first period on Tuesday after blocking a shot.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Continue a four-game road trip at the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Penguins: Travel to Buffalo on Wednesday.
