Pastrnak Lifts Bruins Past Sabres in Game 5 OT, Series Nhl

David Pastrnak scored 9:14 into overtime, and the Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in Game 5 on Tuesday night in series nhl play. Buffalo still leads the series 3-2, but Boston forced the matchup back to its home ice for Game 6 on Friday.

Pastrnak Beats Buffalo

The winning goal came on a breakaway, the kind of chance Boston had to finish in a game it needed to survive. Pastrnak, the Bruins’ leading scorer, delivered it in the extra period and turned a one-goal game into the result that kept the season moving.

He said after the win, “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I’ve been through a lot in my career, so use it as motivation” and added, “But at the end of the day, I just want to play well.” Those words matched the finish on the ice, where Boston needed one clean attack to stay alive.

Swayman Holds Boston In It

Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves for the Bruins, and Marco Sturm pointed to that stop total after the game. “Big moments, big game, the big guys show up,” Sturm said. “And (Swayman’s) one of them.”

That support mattered because Boston spent most of the night in a tight game that stayed within reach until overtime. A 2-1 score line left little margin for error, and Swayman’s work kept the Bruins in position long enough for Pastrnak to finish it.

Buffalo Faces Game 6

Buffalo entered Game 5 with 10 players who had previously appeared in a series-clinching situation, and Lindy Ruff said the group handled its first elimination game as a learning step. “That elimination game was the first time for our players dealing with it,” he said. “I think they got a real good taste of it. Now we know we got to improve in a couple areas.”

The Bruins now go home needing another win to extend the series, while Buffalo carries the pressure of a 3-2 lead into Friday’s Game 6 in Boston. Boston survived one elimination game; it still has to win another to force the series deeper.