Bruins Notes: Special Teams, David Pastrnak Propels Boston To Victory

The Bruins played the first half of their 13th set of back-to-back games, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena, sweeping the season series 3-0.

Despite missing their captain Patrice Bergeron, the Black and Gold were a perfect six-for-six holding the Penguins to just seven shots while on the man-advantage.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game here today,” David Pastrnak told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan after the game, as seen on the ABC broadcast. “Especially without our captain today, so it was a big win for us.”

Pastrnak led the Bruins, recording a hat trick and joining an elite group by logging his first 100-point season.

The forward is up to 56 goals on the season after Saturday’s win. The winger has scored the most goals in franchise history since Phil Esposito scored 61 in the 1974-75 season.

Here are some more notes from Saturday’s Bruins-Penguins game

— With 59 wins and 123 points, the Bruins eclipsed the franchise single-season record previously held by the 1970-1971 team.

— Jim Montgomery reached a milestone of his own by earning the most wins by a coach in their first season with 59. The Bruins need four more victories in the final six games for the NHL record.

“It’s no different than the All-Star game. I was representing the Boston Bruins,” Montgomery told reporters before the game via team-provided video. “My name might get attached to something, but it’s the Spoked-B that owns the record.”

— Pavel Zacha, with three assists in the game, has five points in his last five games. In 76 games this season, Zacha has potted 18 goals and added 35 assists for 53 points.

— The Bruins will travel to St. Louis for a matchup with the Blues on Sunday. Puck drop from Enterprise Center is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be aired on TNT.