Bruins Notes: How Boston Changed Game Plan to Succeed In Overtime

The Boston Bruins haven’t liked seeing overtime this season.

Entering Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden, the Bruins were 1-4 in overtime and had lost two of their last three games overall, both of which had gone to overtime.

It looked like Friday was going to be déjà vu for the Bruins, as the B’s and Penguins went to overtime tied at one. Pittsburgh controlled the opening minutes, and it appeared the Bruins once again would give in and fall in the extra stanza.

But that was not the case.

Boston flipped the script on the Pens, as Torey Krug rifled a pass to Joakim Nordstrom in front of the net and the winger stuck the puck past Tristan Jarry with 1:57 remaining in OT to give the B’s the win.

So what made this overtime period different than the previous ones in which the B’s couldn’t break through?

Well, the Bruins actually discussed their overtime woes Friday morning and it paid off.

“Well, we actually ironically addressed it this morning in the video,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said as seen on NESN’s “Bruins Overtime Live.” “We had some other things we went over, good and bad. I think it was just a matter of being committed to getting the puck back, committed to keeping plays to the outside and not giving up odd-man rushes. Listen, every team’s got their best players on the ice, guys that are dangerous and I thought, you know, we got the save off the (Sidney) Crosby shot but it was still from the outside, it wasn’t one of those point-blankers or two-on-ones where you hang your goalie out to dry. So good for our guys, we bought into, we end up winning a couple of pucks back and we make our play.”

Here are more notes from Bruins-Penguins:

— Jaroslav Halak was brilliant in net for the Bruins. The veteran goalie stopped 36 of 37 shots in the win.

— Jake DeBrusk got the Bruins on the board first when he scored his ninth goal of the season off an assist from David Krejci. The young winger was happy to be reunited with his linemate after a couple games apart.

“Yeah, it was nice to be back with (Krejci),” DeBrusk said after the game, per the Bruins. “I think it was two games there where I wasn’t with him. Obviously, we connected on one and I think overall he was flying tonight, he was weaving, he was prime time (Krejci) out there. So it’s lots of fun to play with him when he’s like that and I thought (Danton Heinen) was strong on pucks as well.”

— The Bruins held a moment of silence before the game to honor those who have fought cancer.