David Pastrnak on first line as Bruins shuffle Game 5

David Pastrnak started Game 5 on the first line with Marat Khusnutdinov and Pavel Zacha after Marco Sturm changed the Bruins’ lines. The move came with Boston in a pivotal playoff game, and it paid off in a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres that forced Game 6.

Sturm’s line shuffle

Sturm said on Wednesday that he wanted “fresh energy” and “more energy” when he altered the group. He added, “I liked it a lot” after seeing the new look in action, and explained the thought process this way: “I had never done it before, so that was a question – should we keep it a little bit like the same and switch one or two guys around, or really going to mix it up?.”

Alex Steeves and Mikey Eyssimont drew into the lineup because Viktor Arvidsson was injured. Lukas Reichel was a scratch for Game 5, and Henri Jokiharju made his playoff debut by replacing Jordan Harris.

Pastrnak with Khusnutdinov

Boston’s first line was the clearest change. Khusnutdinov joined Zacha and Pastrnak, while Fraser Minten started centering the second line between Casey Mittelstadt and Morgan Geekie before later being exchanged with Elias Lindholm.

Sturm said, “I felt like these guys could give us that, and they did. All those three guys played hard. They gave us what we needed.” That left Boston with a reshaped top six in a game that needed overtime to settle.

Bruins push to Game 6

The Bruins beat the Sabres 2-1 in overtime and carried that result into a Game 6 on Friday night at TD Garden in Boston. Puck drop was set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

After the win, Sturm said, “Nothing really changes for us,” and then laid out the approach in full: “Going in here, we had a mission. A one-game mission, and nothing will change. We will have a one-game mission again going home. We are really looking forward to it. We take today to rest. Tomorrow, we’re back to business. Can’t wait to play at home.”