PITTSBURGH — Patrice Bergeron scored at 2:33 of overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center.
Bergeron, a center, tipped left winger Milan Lucic’s shot from the center point, and the play stood up under a review to see if Bergeron’s stick was a legal height off the ice.
It was the fourth game in a row Boston played beyond regulation, but the first of those four it won.
With the point, the Penguins moved into sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Penguins dominated the opening minutes, and right winger Beau Bennett gave them a 1-0 lead at 3:37 of the first period. He took center Evgeni Malkin’s centering pass from behind the net and, six feet to the right of the net, swept the puck between the wide-stance legs of towering Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and inside the near post.
It was the second goal of the season for often-injured Bennett.
Chara tied it at 1 at 17:57 of the first period on a searing slap shot from above the left circle. With teammate David Krejci providing a screen, Chara’s shot sailed past the blocker of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
It was Chara’s first goal since Oct. 18, before he missed 19 games because of a knee injury.
Pittsburgh outshot Boston 14-6 in the second period, but the Bruins got the only goal.
Fleury poke-checked the puck away from Lucic, who battled to get around Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. The puck slid into the left circle, where Bergeron caught up with it and scored from the hash marks at 15:37 for a 2-1 Bruins lead.
Malkin tied it for the Penguins just 15 seconds into the third period. He carried the puck from his own blue line, cutting wide toward the left-wing boards before cruising to just above the left dot. He let loose a perfectly placed slap shot that sailed over the left shoulder of Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask.
NOTES: Pittsburgh played without C Marcel Goc, who was ill, along with injured RWs Blake Comeau, Patric Hornqvist and Pascal Dupuis, and D Olli Maatta. Goc missed Monday’s practice, returned for practice Tuesday but sat out the game-day skate and game Wednesday. Coach Mike Johnston indicated the illness is not serious. … Although Boston recalled rookie RW David Pastrnak from the American Hockey League after he played for the Czech Republic in the world junior tournament, coach Claude Julien said the team opted to scratch the 2014 first-round pick Wednesday so he would not have to play on back-to-back nights. Julien said Pastrnak will play Thursday against New Jersey. … Boston continues to play without LW Simon Gagne, who is on a personal leave. … The Penguins lead the NHL with goals from 24 players this season.