Geekie scores in 5th straight, Bruins defeat Penguins

PITTSBURGH -- Morgan Geekie scored to extend his goal streak to five games and point streak to 10, each an NHL career high, and the Boston Bruins won 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday.

Geekie has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) during the point streak.

David Pastrnak had two assists to push his point streak to nine games (eight goals, 12 assists), including a career-high five straight games with multiple points (five goals, 10 assists), for the Bruins (33-39-9), who have alternated wins and losses in their past six games.

Elias Lindholm had a goal and an assist, Fabian Lysell scored his first NHL goal, and Joonas Korpisalo made 23 saves.

“I’ve said this before, I think that the way that [Geekie and Pastrnak] are finding each other, the way they’re seeing the game offensively ... they’re just seeing the game well offensively right now,” Bruins coach Joe Sacco said. “They know where each other is. They have those seam plays that they’re able to find and expose teams on. ... It’s tough to cover that.”

Sidney Crosby had his home point streak end at 14 games (nine goals, 11 assists), and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins (33-36-12), who had won two straight and three of four. Tristan Jarry made 28 saves.

“Slow start? It was a slow game, period,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “We had one guy. I thought our goaltender was terrific. The rest of it, it’s hard to find a positive.”

Each team has been eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Lindholm put Boston ahead 1-0 at 19:57 of the first period, scoring his 17th goal this season and fourth in six games. He deflected a pass from Pastrnak just outside the crease and held off Kris Letang for the rebound, scoring on a wrist shot past an outstretched Jarry.

“We played some good hockey,” Lindholm said. “Played pretty fast today and had some good looks.”

Lysell made it 2-0 on a power play at 8:52 of the second period, taking a pass from Pavel Zacha for a wrist shot that went in off Jarry at the left post. The 22-year-old rookie forward was selected in the first round (No. 21) of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Geekie extended the lead to 3-0 at 11:56 with his 32nd goal, a one-timer off the crossbar that bounced down just inside the goal line.

Rakell cut it to 3-1 on a power play at 19:44 when a shot from Philip Tomasino went in off him. It was his 35th goal of the season, an NHL career high. He had 15 goals in 70 games last season.

“I mean, obviously, it feels way better than it did last year,” Rakell said. “It doesn’t feel good when you’re not in the position that we want to be in. That’s what it feels like right now.”

Jakub Lauko scored an empty-net goal at 17:30 of the third period for the 4-1 final.

“I think they just came out more prepared than us,” Jarry said. “I think they had a little bit more energy and they were just putting pucks on net. They were putting a lot of pucks on net from everywhere and kind of generating chances that way. I think it was hard for us to defend tonight.

“Obviously, this season was tough for me. It didn’t go the way that I wanted. So, I think just going right until the end, that’s my motivation and that’s what I’m playing for. Every time you get to put the Penguins jersey on, it’s a privilege, and I expect nothing else from everyone else in this room.”

NOTES: Pastrnak is the third Bruins player since 1994-95 with multipoint streak of at least five games, joining Brad Marchand (five games from Jan. 8-15, 2022, and Feb. 5-12, 2019) and Patrice Bergeron (five games from Oct. 4-17, 2018). Pastrnak is also the ninth Czechia-born player in with multiple points in five straight games, and the first since Milan Michalek (six games from March 13-22, 2007). ... Tomasino played 10:33 after being a game-time decision. He had missed three games with a concussion sustained April 5.