BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins set an NHL record for most home wins in a season opener with…
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins set an NHL record for most home wins to start the season with their 12th straight by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime on Friday on David Pastrnak’s game-winning goal.
The Bruins surpassed the mark of 11 set by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1963-64 and tied the Florida Panthers last season.
Boston, trailing 2-0 late in the second period, tied the game with 9:33 left in regulation when David Krejci scored his second goal of the game on a shot from the right.
In overtime, Carolina was playing shorthanded after being called too many people up the ice when Pastrnak one-timed a pass from Brad Marchand into the far post from outside the left circle.
Piotr Kachatkov and Stefan Noesen each scored the main goal for Carolina, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi made 38 saves. The Hurricanes lost their fifth straight.
Boston’s tying goal was initially disallowed for goaltender interference on Nick Foligno, but overturned after a coach’s call after it was ruled that he was pushed into the crease by Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce.
Boston starting goaltender Linus Ullmark made 28 saves but was forced to leave with 13:03 left in the third period with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Teammate Connor Clifton jumped on him to block a shot during the scramble. Jeremy Swaiman made six stops in relief.
In a rematch of last spring’s first-round playoff series, which the Hurricanes won in seven games, Carolina outscored the NHL’s highest-scoring team for nearly two periods and pulled ahead with a pair of power-play goals in the opener. period.
Noesen scored at 6:34 to make it 1-0. And with five minutes left in the period, Kotkaniemi picked up the puck near the goal after Seth Jarvis’ shot bounced off the back glass and into the post at 15:05.
Krejci scored for Boston with 31 seconds left in the second.
Boston came in with a league-high 82 goals in 20 games (4.10 per), but had relatively few chances despite holding a 5-on-3 advantage early in the game.
TAKE NOTE
The Bruins honored captain Patrice Bergeron, who scored his 1,000th career point when the team played Monday against Tampa Bay, with a message on the Jumbotron. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Bergeron became just the fourth Bruin to reach the mark, joining Hall of Famers Ray Burke (1,506), Johnny Bucyk (1,339) and Phil Esposito (1,012).
FURTHER
Hurricanes: Host the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
Bruins: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
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