Pastrnak's OT Winner Secures Bruins' 61st Win of Season

BOSTON - David Pastrnak was having one of those lousy days.
The winger came to the rink feeling a bit under the weather as a stomach bug took its toll. It was nothing, however, that was going to keep him out of the lineup for the Bruins' late-season showdown against the division rival Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden.

"I can't give him enough credit for how he willed himself to help us tonight," said coach Jim Montgomery. "He was not at his 100 percent level - he was battling a stomach virus, and I give him full credit for helping us win this hockey game."
Pastrnak did just that midway through overtime when he rocketed home his 57th goal of the season off a feed from Dmitry Orlov to lift Boston to a 2-1 victory.
"He's got a knack to find a way and to get the big goal and rise up in situations like that," said Patrice Bergeron. "Tonight, he wasn't feeling well and kudos to him for stepping up like that and battling through. I think sometimes just that alone makes a big difference, gives you a lift and you see a teammate going through the extra mile like that to be a part of it."
Pastrnak, of course, has learned from the best in that regard.
"I mean, there was no doubt," Pastrnak said when asked if he thought about sitting out. "We have leaders like Bergy, you learn from them, right? So, there's not many things that can stop you. Plus…the group is amazing, and I felt like I can still help. The guys did an amazing job, and Orly gave me two so it was fun and big day for the win."

The win was the Bruins' 61st of the 2022-23 campaign, leaving them one shy of tying the NHL's all-time mark for single-season victories. Boston can equal the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the record on Saturday night against New Jersey.
"We try to set up some goals to get ready for playoffs because, obviously, when you're fighting for playoffs, you feel different," said Pastrnak. "A lot of players and even coaches, they haven't been in this spot - we've been clinched for so long, so sometimes it's hard to find motivation for the games that sometimes we play outside of playoff teams.
"So, definitely we know about [the record] because we're looking for anything to kind of prepare us for playoffs."
Pastrnak's overtime tally was his fourth such goal of the season, leaving him one shy of matching the NHL record for a single season shared by Tampa's Steven Stamkos (2011-12), Chicago's Jonathan Toews (2015-16), Montreal's Alex Galchenyuk (2016-17), and teammate Brad Marchand (2017-18).
It also marked the 26-year-old's 11th game-winning goal of the season to tie Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl for the league lead.
"Honestly, I was just trying to set up Orly for one, but he kept passing back," Pastrnak said of his winning marker. "Just got it by the D, and it ended up in the net, so obviously a nice goal."
Pastrnak has now tallied 10 goals over his last 10 games and is just three shy of posting the fifth 60-goal season in Bruins history. Phil Esposito is the only other player to hit the mark, having done so in 1970-71 (76), 1973-74 (68), 1971-72 (66), and 1974-75 (61).
"No, not really. I just play," Pastrnak said when asked if he's eyeing his first 60-goal campaign. "I'm enjoying the game, and I'm having fun out there. It's a special group here, so every day is fun at work right now. So, just focusing on that, and very grateful for that."

That kind of attitude is exactly why Pastrnak, who has rotated with Charlie McAvoy in wearing the second 'A' for much of the season, has begun to carve out an important role within Boston's leadership core.
"I think it's been awesome," Montgomery said of Pastrnak's leadership. "I think he has great leaders in front of him that he's learned from in Bergy and Marchy and [David Krejci], his big brother. That's why I think he loves being a Bruin and the Spoked-B means a lot to him, why he signed that eight-year extension. I think he wants to be a leader here for a long time."

Coyle Ties It Up

After being held off the board for the first 50-plus minutes, the Bruins broke through when Charlie Coyle tied things, 1-1, with 9:28 remaining in regulation on his 14th goal of the season. The sequence began when Brandon Carlo kept the puck in at the right point with a leaping right glove snag.
Carlo then tossed the puck down on the blue line, just keeping it inside the Toronto zone, before finding Coyle cutting across the top of the circle. Coyle collected the feed, took a few strides, and opened up for a wrister that beat Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov with Oskar Steen planted in front for the screen.
"He's got a pretty good [vertical leap] that guy," said Coyle. "I had a bunch of room to work with. I think [Trent Frederic] and Steen were both driving the net, so that gave me time and, yeah, I was lucky it found a way in."
Montgomery had high praise for the trio of Coyle, Frederic, and Steen for their work during the entire shift.
"It was awesome," said Montgomery. "I thought that whole shift - Coyle was still out there as Freddy and Steen went out with him, and Freddy got it in deep. We got to the goal line, we forechecked hard and then Carlo being able to keep that puck in was obviously monumental for us getting that goal."
Bergeron, meanwhile, credited Coyle for stepping up in the absence of Krejci, who was held out for the second straight game due to "soreness."
"There's little details of the game that you don't necessarily notice if you only look at the big picture or stats or whatnot and I think the impact that he has on his line also on this team is undeniable and we're extremely happy to have him," said Bergeron. "He just keeps getting better and tonight is one of those things where he gets that opportunity in the slot and takes advantage of that.
"I thought it was a great play by Brandon, too, for that key pinch and being aggressive at the blue line. That's another play that not everyone is going to see it but if Brando doesn't make that play then there's no goal."

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