Boston Bruins
Pastrnak’s OT goal forced a Game 6 between the Bruins and Sabres on Friday night at TD Garden.
David Pastrnak scored in overtime to clinch a Game 5 win at in Buffalo. AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
David Pastrnak and the Bruins will live to play another day.
The Bruins star winger kept Boston’s season going for at least one more game on Tuesday, scoring at 9:14 in overtime to lift the Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Sabres in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series
Boston is still trailing Buffalo, 3-2, in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 between the Bruins and Sabres is scheduled for Friday, with puck drop from TD Garden set for 7:30 p.m.
Pastrnak gave the Bruins new life in the extra frame after a heads-up play in the defensive zone.
After Marat Khusnutdinov disrupted a pass near Buffalo’s blue line, the puck skittered over to Hampus Lindholm. The veteran blueliner launched a stretch pass down the other end of the ice to Pastrnak, hitting the forward in stride.
With Mattias Samuelsson in pursuit, Pastrnak faked out Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon with a quick set of dekes — tucking the puck past his outstretched pads to clinch the road victory at KeyBank Center.
Pastrnak did his best impression of Sean Kuraly’s leaping celebration into the glass — jawing at several Buffalo fans as his teammates surrounded him.
You can watch Pastrnak’s season-saving tally here:
Tuesday’s 2-1 victory was a welcome sight for the Bruins, fresh off an embarrassing 6-1 loss to Buffalo on Sunday in Game 4.
While Pastrnak provided the heroics in overtime, Jeremy Swayman once again led the way down the other end of the ice for Boston. The Bruins’ top netminder stopped 25 of 26 shots, including several Grade-A chances in the third period amid a 1-1 deadlock.
Pastrnak has now scored the last two playoff overtime goals for the Bruins. He scored the game-winner to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round series in May 2024.
The Bruins will now look to knot their series up at three games apiece at TD Garden, where they have labored over the last few playoff runs.
“Just be loud, please, and be patient,” Pastrnak said on NESN of his message to fans on Friday. “We’re going to shoot the puck — don’t worry.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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