by BOSTON — The Boston Bruins set the NHL record for most home wins to start a season with their 12th straight win, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime on Friday with a power play goal from David Pastrnak.
The Bruins broke the 11 mark set by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1963-64 and matched by the Florida Panthers last season.
“That felt great,” said Bruins first-year coach Jim Montgomery. “We talked about it after the second [period] go to the third. There have been many great teams in this league and you can set a precedent and break a record. It’s very special and it doesn’t happen if these guys don’t believe in themselves the way they do.”
Boston, trailing 2-0 late in the second half, equalized with 9:33 before the end of regular time when David Krejci scored his second goal of the game with a shot from the right point.
“It’s never fun going into the third, you’re in here [in the locker room] trying to figure it out,” said Krejci. “They want to come out and do the job, something special at stake. It’s hard to win in this league. To get 12 in a row at home is very special.”
In overtime, Carolina played shorthanded after being called onto the ice for too many men when Pastrnak once played a Brad Marchand pass into the far post from above the left circle.
“Obviously it was a big win for us when we came from behind,” said Pastrnak.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen each scored a power-play goal for Carolina, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 38 saves. The Hurricanes lost their fifth episode.
Boston’s equalizer was initially disallowed due to goaltender interference at Nick Foligno, but that was overturned after a coach’s challenge after it was decided Foligno was pushed into the crease by Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce.
Boston’s starting goaltender Linus Ullmark made 28 saves but had to go in the third period with 13:03 left with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Teammate Connor Clifton had jumped on him to block a shot during a scuffle. Jeremy Swayman made six stops in relief.
In a repeat of the opening round playoff series last spring, which the Hurricanes won in seven games, Carolina shut out the top-scoring team in the NHL for nearly two periods and had two power-play goals in the opening period.
Noesen scored at 6:34 to make it 1-0. And with five minutes left in the third, Kotkaniemi collected the puck on the edge of the net after Seth Jarvis’ shot ricocheted off the back window and slipped into the post at 15:05.
Krejci scored for Boston with 31 seconds left in the second.
Boston netted a league-high 82 goals (4.10 per goal) in 20 games, but despite a 5-for-3 power play advantage early in the game, he was left with relatively few chances.
Note something
The Bruins honored captain Patrice Bergeron, who celebrated his 1,000th. Career point scored while the team was away against Tampa Bay on Monday with a message on the giant video screen. The audience gave him a standing ovation.
Bergeron was only the fourth Bruin to reach that mark, along with Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1,506), Johnny Bucyk (1,339), and Phil Esposito (1,012).
