Setting records is not enough for the 2022-23 Boston Bruins. They apparently have to do it in dramatic fashion.
Not only did the B’s set the record for most wins in a season with their 63rd in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, they rode David Pastrnak’s hat trick that gave the sniper his 58th, 59th and 60th goals of the season to get there.
While the B’s leap-frogged the 1995-96 Red Wings and 2018-19 Lightning for the record, Pastrnak become the first Bruins since Phil Esposito in 1974-75 to hit the 60-goal plateau. Wells Fargo Arena was a fitting spot for Pastrnak, who scored his very first NHL goal there on Jan. 10, 2015.
Two points in their last two games would also give the B’s the record for points in the season, currently held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens with 132, though that mark would come with a fat asterisk. That Habs team played an 80-game season and in the pre-overtime era before the extra point was available in OT.
As expected, the B’s left several of their big guns at home – Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Taylor Hall, Linus Ullmark, Dmitry Orlov and the injured David Krejci.
But the B’s burst out of gate like they very much wanted to set the record and it was one of the Providence players who came up that was partially responsible for the first goal. Defenseman Connor Carrick helped keep the puck in at the right point and took it down to the half wall before setting up Charlie Coyle for a rare one-timer goal just 47 seconds into the game.
But it looked like the Flyers weren’t all the interested in being part of history. They knotted it just 17 seconds later off a puck-handling miscue. Jeremy Swayman could not glove a long distance shot but it appeared Connor Clifton had a chance to clear it to the corner. Instead, he tried to settle it down and that gave Wade Allison a chance to knock it into the empty net behind Swayman.
The B’s had several great chances to regain the lead. Pastrnak hit the post twice off one-timers and goalie Felix Sandstrom made a great blocker save on A.J. Greer on a well-executed 3-on-2 and it remained even.
But Pastrnak found the range early in the second period. Pastrnak wheeled into the middle of the ice out high and somehow got his wrist shot to go through Sandstrom’s pads at 2:04 for his 58th goal of the season.
The B’s thought Pastrnak had No. 59 at 4:40 when Clifton took the puck deep and got a shot off that produced a rebound for Pastrnak to put in the net. It was immediately waved off for contact that Clifton made with Sandstrom. The B’s felt Ivan Provorov precipitated that contact and challenged, but they lost after a lengthy review. That forced them to kill off their 35th straight penalty, which they did with ease.
But No. 59 did did come for Pastrnak, with some help from No. 59 Tyler Bertuzzi. The B’s controlled the puck out high and it seemed like Bertuzzi just waited for Pastrnak to get in position for the one-timer. Bertuzzi made the soft pass and Pastrnak smoked it past Sandstrom to make it 3-1 at 7:31.
The B’s killed off another penalty – getting more scoring chances than Flyers did during it – but the Flyers got back to within one at 13:58. Jakub Zboril turned over a bouncing puck to Joel Farabee just inside the B’s blue line and, on a clean break-in, Farabee beat Swayman with a slick forehand shot.
Tempers flared later in the period with Bertuzzi taking umbrage at Rasmus Risolainen shoving Pastrnak after the whistle and then Travis Konecny face-washing Clifton at the other end, producing shortened power plays for both teams but neither could cash in on some good chances.
Earlier in the period, Garnet Hathaway had to leave the game when he took a Carick shot off the back of the head but he returned before the period was over.
But just 39 seconds int the third period, Pastrnak hit the 60-goal plateau after Hampus Lindholm sent Pastrnak and Bertuzzi off on a 2-on-1. After playing catching with his linemate, Pastrnak slipped it through Sandstrom’s pads, producing a shower of hats from Bruins fans that traveled south.
After a spirited bout between A.J. Greer and Nicolas Deslauriers, the Flers scratched back to within one at 9:06 when Owen Tippett scored off the rush.
But Pavel Zacha ended it with his 21st goal with 3:04 left.
