BOSTON — The Boston Bruins defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, to win this 12 months’s Winter Basic in entrance of 39,243 followers at Fenway Park on Monday.
Winger Jake DeBrusk scored two third-period objectives, together with the game-winner with 2:33 left to interrupt a 1-1 tie.
With the victory, the Bruins moved to 4-1 all-time in NHL outside video games, whereas the Penguins dropped to 2-4. Boston has the perfect file within the NHL this season at 29-4-4. The Penguins at the moment are 19-12-6.
Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark made 26 saves for the win.
The Penguins modified goaltenders with 4:30 remaining in first interval, as an injured Tristan Jarry left for the locker room and backup Casey DeSmith took over the online.
The Penguins took the lead with 11:20 left within the second interval, as winger Danton Heinen fed linemate Kaspari Kapanen for a point-blank shot that beat goalie Linas Ullmark. The aim got here quickly after the Bruins had killed 4 minutes of Penguins’ power-play time after minor penalties on ahead David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm.
The Bruins tied the sport with 12:14 left within the third interval. Winger Brad Marchand discovered ahead Jake DeBrusk on the facet of the Penguins’ web and his wraparound beat goalie Casey DeSmith simply six seconds after a Pittsburgh penalty expired.
DeBrusk’s game-winner got here after an awesome stick-handling transfer to the online by linemake Taylor Hall. DeSmith made the save, however DeBrusk knocked the puck in on the rebound.
The Penguins got here near tying the sport on the finish of regulation, however the puck crossed the road after the ultimate buzzer.
Pittsburgh was with out defenseman Kris Letang, who returned to Montreal to be along with his household after the demise of his father.
By Winter Basic climate requirements, Monday was splendid: cloud cowl making glare off the ice a non-factor and game-time temperatures round 51 levels.
This was the second Winter Basic to be held inside Fenway Park. The Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1 in additional time, within the 2010 Basic, the third version of the NHL’s outside sport and the primary one to characteristic a struggle.
One main change between the 2 video games: The rink for this 12 months’s version ran parallel to the Inexperienced Monster in left subject, with a duplicate baseball diamond hockey rink in-built between. Penguins and Bruins gamers stood on the “baselines” of that rink for a ceremonial “first puck pitch” earlier than the sport, as Boston hockey legend Bobby Orr shot a puck to former Boston Purple Sox catcher Jason Varitek.
As has develop into an NHL outside sport custom, each groups arrived on the Basic carrying attention-grabbing apparel. In recognition of the sport being at Fenway, the Penguins wearing throwback Pittsburgh Pirates gear whereas the Bruins wore old-timey Boston Purple Sox uniforms.
“It offers our group an opportunity to tip our caps to all the good gamers and the good groups which have performed on this stadium,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan stated.