Pastrnak scores game-winner as Bruins topple Kings in overtime

The Boston Bruins improved to 2-1 on the season with a Saturday matinee win over the Los Angeles Kings at TD Garden.

For the game-winning goal, Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei made a sharp tape-to-tape pass across the ice to David Pastrnak, who fired the puck through Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper to lift the B’s to victory.

At the other end of the ice, Jeremy Swayman locked things down by stopping 33 of 34 L.A. shots (.971). He’s now 2-0 since returning to the net for Boston.

The teams battled to a draw in the first period, with both defenses clamping down around the net. There was only one high-danger scoring chance each for the B's and Kings at 5-on-5 in the opening 20 minutes. L.A. out-shot Boston 8-6 in the period, on the strength of an early 5-1 advantage in that department.

Despite two power play opportunities, the Bruins not only came up empty on the scoreboard but got out-shot 2-1 in those situations. A Brad Marchand giveaway on the man advantage nearly cost them, but Swayman came up with a pair of saves to stop the Kings' shorthanded bid.

The Kings drew first blood early in the second period, cashing in on a power play after a boarding penalty by Nikita Zadorov. Right as the power play ended, Kings forward Trevor Moore found himself open and in perfect position for a puck bounce, slamming it into an open net to give L.A. a 1-0 lead. The score came just after Swayman had made a couple of strong saves to keep the Kings off the board.

The B's continued to struggle on the power play, and even got some boos from the home crowd. Late in the second period, the B's had another power play, but an interference penalty on Pavel Zacha made it 4-on-4. Ironically, that's how the Bruins would finally get on the board.

Brad Marchand got the play started by forcing a giveaway and a rush toward the Kings' end, and got a shot off. The puck bounced right to a waiting Elias Lindholm, who one-timed the loose puck past goaltender Darcy Kuemper to tie the game 1-1 with 3:10 left in the period.

Lindholm is now up to five points (two goals, three assists) in his first three games as a Bruin.

The teams played another scoreless period in the third, to set the stage for overtime. Bruins forward Matthew Poitras set up his teammates for multiple scoring chances in the final period, getting his ultimate reward with an assist on the Pastrnak game-winner.

The Bruins play a second straight matinee game on Monday, when they welcome the Florida Panthers for a rematch of the season opener.