March 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right side Egor Chainakov (59) moves the puck against Boston Bruins defenseman Hampers Lindholm (27) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Tommy Novak scored 17 seconds into overtime to help the Pittsburgh Penguins come from down 3-0 to beat the visiting Boston Bruins 5-4 on Sunday.
Pittsburgh, which was playing in two consecutive games without Sidney Crosby (injury) and Evgeni Malkin (rest), scored five of the final six goals to break a three-game skid (0-2-1).
On the opening shift of overtime, Egor Chinakhov forced a turnover and won the puck battle by driving toward the net, while Novak charged into the slot, leaping over a loose puck to bury the decisive goal.
Anthony Mantha scored twice in the third period, Novak had a goal and an assist, and Chinakhov and Connor Dewar also scored for Pittsburgh. Erik Karlsson had two assists and Arturs Silovs made 24 saves.
Boston fell to 3-2-1 in its last six games despite Pavel Zacha’s second hat trick of the season and a 34-save effort from Joonas Korpisalo. David Pastrnak also broke his eight-game scoring drought, and Viktor Arvidsson and Jonathan Aspirot each had two assists.
Pittsburgh held a 39-28 shot advantage, including a 15-11 lead in the third period and overtime.
Zacha’s second power-play goal in as many games gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 9:27 of the first after former Bruin Noel Acciari dodged a bullet by hitting the post. The veteran loaded up to bury a cross-ice pass from Morgan Geekie and scored a one-timer from the right circle.
Both goalies got big runs early in the second before Zacha extended the Bruins’ advantage at 8:47. After Arvidsson took a pass off the side wall and slid a backhand shot over Silovs, who skated down the slot, Silovs contested a shot from outside the crease.
Pastrnak’s first goal since January 27 made it 3-0. After Elias Lindholm had a long space in the defensive zone, Silovs misplayed the puck in the back of the net and passed it to his star winger, whose wraparound went off the diving goalkeeper’s pads.
The Penguins closed the gap to two points at 14:44 when Chinakhov scored in 1:38 of a 5-on-3. Rickard Rakell set up Chinakhov for a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
In the third game, Silovs made three saves in the first minute, helping the hosts complete their first straight penalty kill and setting the stage for two quick goals.
Dewar made it a one-goal game at 6:02 when he gathered Ryan Shea’s long pass into the end wall and lifted a turnaround backhand over Korpisalo from the left circle.
Just 33 seconds later, Mantha took a pass from Novak and sneaked a five-hole backhand shot down the middle from Korpisalo to tie the score at 3-3.
Boston got a hat trick with 8:34 to play in the final frame on Zacha’s point-blank wrist shot, but Mantha tied the game for the second time in a row when he buried the rebound of Parker Wotherspoon’s point shot at 11:18 to force overtime.
–Field level media
