BOSTON — The Bruins are starting to get a pretty decent handle on this whole overtime thing.
It’s been anything but rare for them to need an extra period to find a result, as Saturday’s victory over the Philadelphia Flyers was their eighth such game of the season — and the fifth win.
David Pastrnak and/or Pavel Zacha have been involved in almost all of them.
Zacha was the hero once again Saturday, potting a one-timer from the circle off a beautiful cross-ice pass from Pastrnak. It’s just kind of what they do, with two consecutive overtime wins coming in that exact fashion.
“(Pastrnak) wants to make a difference out there, especially in crunch time,” Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said. “It’s another big play in overtime, him and (Zacha). He has determination, and in overtime when it’s three-on-three, anything can happen… I had a tough angle to see it, but I saw the final result.”
The Bruins have reliable assets in crunch-time spots, which has been a driving force behind their climb back into the top of the Atlantic Division standings.
Bruins-Flyers produced some other noteworthy items on Saturday:
— The B’s continue to lead the world in goals allowed in the final two minutes of a period, allowing Flyers forward Matvei Michkov to stretch that number to 11, per Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub,.
— Charlie McAvoy admitted to “seeing red” following a couple of run-ins with Michkov during the second period, which very well could have sparked the turnaround.
— Pastrnak rocked some notable threads to 100 Legends Way on Saturday.
— Boston will embark on a five-game road trip over the next two weeks, with games against the Winnipeg Jets, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.
“I think that’s a true sign of the identity of your team: how you play on the road,” Sacco said, choosing to view the trip as a positive. “It’ll be good to get out there.”
— The Bruins will begin said road trip Tuesday, as they head north of the border for a matchup with the Jets. It’s a later puck drop, with things scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. ET, following an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.
