Boston’s Patrice Bergeron scored 15 minutes, 19 seconds into the second overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and a 3-0 series lead in the NHL Eastern Conference finals.
The victory put Boston firmly in control of the best-of-seven series to advance to the Stanley Cup finals when they host Game 4 tonight.
“It was a battle. They played hard all night,” Bergeron said. “It was a tough game, we found a way.”
Photo: Reuters
David Krejci also scored for Boston in the first period. He leads the playoffs in scoring with nine goals and 12 assists.
Chris Kunitz scored Pittsburgh’s only goal in the second.
That left it 1-1 after two periods, and it stayed that way through two more. However, 4:41 before the second overtime was to expire, Brad Marchand grabbed the puck along the left-wing boards and centered it, where Bergeron redirected it past Tomas Vokoun and into the net.
Photo: AFP
“That was a great play by March,” Bergeron said. “I just was trying to get open going to the net and he found my stick.”
That set off a celebration in Boston — the first for the Bruins at home this series after they won the first two games of the series in Pittsburgh 3-0 and 6-1. It is the first time all season that Pittsburgh have lost three consecutive games.
The good news for the Penguins: The last of three teams to blow a 3-0 lead in an NHL playoff series was Boston, when they lost four in a row to Philadelphia in the 2010 Eastern Conference semi-finals.
After two Boston blowouts, the Penguins matched the Bruins and even outshot them 39-25 in regulation — including a third period in which Pittsburgh held a 14-4 advantage, despite two Boston power plays. The Bruins did not muster a shot in the final 7:30 of regulation.
However, the Bruins had the better chances in overtime, including Nathan Horton’s breakaway that Vokoun turned aside just 2:21 in and another shot by Horton that went off the right post with 12:25 on the clock.
Pittsburgh forced Boston goalie Tuuka Rask to make a save with five minutes left in the first OT, when Craig Adams tried to poke home a rebound.
“That surprise me? No,” Bergeron said of Rask’s play. “He is doing everything now. He is awesome.”
The Bruins scored just 102 seconds into the game, when Krejci circled around the net and took a slap-shot that caromed in off Pittsburgh defenseman Matt Niskanen.
However, the Penguins tied it in the second, when Kunitz one-timed a pass from Paul Martin over Rask’s right shoulder.
Pittsburgh went none-for-six on power plays. Boston was none-for-five.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two