BOSTON — David Pastrnak played hero for the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, as he netted the game-deciding goal against the New York Islanders to notch the team’s NHL-best 15th win at home.
After a scoreless overtime period, the Bruins and Islanders were sent to a shootout. That’s when Pastrnak came through following back-to-back shootout scores from Jake DeBrusk and Mathew Barzal. The Bruins star slipped the puck past Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov’s right shoulder following a strong shot-fake to throw him off.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was left speechless when asked to describe Pastrnak’s heroic game-winner.
“Oof,” Montgomery said while laughing. “I don’t know. Is there words for it? I mean, you guys are the wordsmiths, not me. You guys can describe it a lot better than me.”
In order to get Pastrnak his shot at sending the game into the final score, the Bruins elected to go first in the shootout. Montgomery explained the history behind his go-to move, which paid major dividends for the Bruins.
“I always thought it would be beneficial to go second,” Montgomery said. “And I did that once, and we didn’t score a goal. And it seems like if you go and you score that first goal, you really have a huge mental advantage.”
The win improved Boston’s NHL-best record to 23-4-1 on the season. With back-to-back wins in the books, the Bruins will return to home ice and face off against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
