David Krejci had a goal and an assist Tuesday as the visiting Boston Bruins earned a split of their two-game set against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 win.
Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall also scored for Boston, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Bruins No. 1 goaltender Tuukka Rask, making just his sixth start since March 8 because of injuries, made 25 saves.
The Bruins (28-14-6), in the fourth and final playoff position in the East Division, maintained a four-point cushion over the New York Rangers with two games in hand.
Jeff Carter scored for Pittsburgh (32-15-3), which had its four-game winning streak halted.
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, coming off a 30-save shutout in Sunday’s 1-0 win against the Bruins, made 28 saves.
With the loss and Washington’s win over the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh fell into second place in the East, a point behind the Capitals.
The teams, who could meet in the playoffs, were coming off a tightly-played, postseason-style game Sunday with a third-period goal.
This one was a little more open but still scoreless until well past the midpoint.
Krejci gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 18:10 of the second. Rask got things rolling by getting the puck to Charlie McAvoy. As play turned up ice, McAvoy sent a feed ahead to Krejci. He drove down the slot, curling around Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson and letting loose a backhander that sailed over Jarry’s glove.
At 6:38 of the third, Pittsburgh’s Teddy Blueger and Boston’s Jeremy Lauzon fought near the Bruins net.
Marchand upped Boston’s lead to 2-0 at 9:11 of the third. Jarry stopped an initial shot by Marchand, and the puck popped into the air. David Pastrnak got to it and pulled Jarry to his right with a shot. That rebound went to Marchand, who had an open net behind Jarry.
At 12:18 of the third, Hall made it 3-0 when he snapped a shot high over Jarry’s glove.
With 2:21 left, Carter took a stretch pass from Kris Letang and, from the right dot, scored far side to close it to 3-1.
–Field Level Media