The Bruins have arguably been the NHL’s best team in the third period, and they showed why Tuesday night.
Boston earned a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center thanks to a David Pastrnak goal that gave the Bruins their 40th win of the season. The B’s are the first in the league to hit that mark in the 2022-23 campaign.
The Bruins were trailing 2-1 going into the final 20 minutes, but Pavel Zacha tied it up halfway through the third to help send the game to overtime. The forward picked up an assist on Pastrnak’s game-winner to cap off a two-point night.
But it wasn’t easy for the Black and Gold. They killed off four penalties in the process and had an ugly night in faceoffs. But in true Bruins fashion, they were able to overcome any struggle thrown their way.
“It was nice to win a game where we had to overcome so many struggles within the game, the penalty kills, playing really well but not having a lead, trailing. Keep pushing, keep believing,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after the game. “There’s a lot of belief in that locker room that if we play the right way, we’ve got a lot of depth that can overcome a lot of adversity.”
Montgomery noticed the difference in his team in the third period when they started playing “Bruins hockey.”
“They were struggling to even reach the red line in the third period, especially the last 10 minutes,” Montgomery told reporters. “We just kept pouring it on. That’s Bruins hockey. That’s our identity there.”
The Bruins look to carry that momentum into Thursday when their road trip continues with a game against the Nashville Predators.
