Rangers blow 2-goal lead, fall to Bruins in overtime
BOSTON — David Pastrnak believes good things come to those who wait.
The Bruins have done plenty of waiting lately. And plenty of winning.
Pastrnak scored his NHLleading 24th goal and assisted on David Krejci's goal 1:40 into overtime, and Boston came from two goals down to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Friday.
The Bruins ral- lied for their sixth straight win after finding themselves in the familiar situation of a late-game deficit.
After Sean Kuraly made it 2-1 with 1:32 left in the second, Pastrnak tied it to force overtime on a one-timer from the left circle 4:27 into the third.
Krejci's goal, his fifth of the season, came on a left-circle wrist shot against an out-of-position Henrik Lundqvist after a give-and-go with Pastrnak, who created space with a deke in the right circle before feeding Krejci through the slot.
Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves for the Bruins. Boston matched its longest winning streak of the season and its longest point streak at 10 games (7-0-3).
“I thought we certainly pushed in the third and overtime,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Just like to see it happen a little sooner.”
Pavel Buchnevich and Filip Chytil scored for the Rangers. Lundqvist had 24 saves as New York's three-game winning streak was snapped.
“Maybe if you look at the schedule and say you're going to come out of Boston with a point you're going to feel good about it, but we feel like we pissed away a point,” Rangers coach David Quinn said.
New York failed to record a shot during a 5-on-3 chance late in the second and also couldn't convert on an extended power play late in the third after Boston's Par Lindholm was assessed a double minor for highsticking.
The Rangers finished 0 for 6 on the power play.
“It was almost like they were asleep for 35 minutes and after they kill off the 5 on 3, it's almost like they decided to turn it up a little bit,” Lundqvist said. “The difference tonight and why they're winning is their PK and Pastrnak.”
Buchnevich's fifth goal this season put New York up 1-0 with 5:46 to play in the first period. Buchnevich beat Halak high to the glove side on a shot from the low slot after Tony DeAngelo's pass from the sideboards.
Chytil's eighth of the season doubled the Rangers' lead at 6:21 of the second. Chytil charged into the slot and scored five-hole on Halak after Ryan Strome's shot from the right circle bounced off Halak right to Chytil.
Jake DeBrusk's blue-line shot caught a piece of Kuraly's stick, bounced off the left post and trickled in to make it 2-1 after Lundqvist's inadvertent stick swat.
Krejci's feed through the slot set up Pastrnak's tying goal.