David Pastrňák delivered two crucial late assists to orchestrate a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory for the Boston Bruins against the Winnipeg Jets, securing the team’s first points of the new NHL season with a 98-second third-period equalizer followed by a decisive setup in the extra frame.
Pastrňák Strikes Late in Winnipeg to Spark Bruins Comeback
With Boston trailing late in regulation, forward David Pastrňák factored into the offense exactly 98 seconds before the final horn sounded. The Havířov native fed a precise pass to Elias Lindholm, who redirected the puck past Winnipeg goaltender Stuart Skinner to level the score at 3-3 and force overtime.
In the subsequent extra period, Pastrňák struck again in the neutral zone, spotting newly acquired German forward J.J. Peterka. Peterka collected the pass and fired a shot through Skinner’s pads to seal the 4-3 triumph. The 24-year-old Peterka, who joined the club over the summer after playing for Utah, scored in his second appearance for his new franchise.
The pair of assists marked a milestone for Pastrňák, representing the 167th time in his career that he has recorded a helper on a game-winning goal. That total moves him past Phil Esposito into fifth place on Boston’s all-time franchise list for game-winning assists, trailing only Ray Bourque, Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Bucyk, and Brad Marchand.
Zacha Logs Heavy Minutes as Boston Shuffles Forward Lines
Fellow Czech forward Pavel Zacha also featured heavily for the Bruins, skating almost 22 minutes among Boston forwards. Zacha registered three shots on goal and finished the night with a plus-two rating.
Winnipeg built its advantage behind goals from DeMelo, Connor, and Ferraro before the Bruins mounted their late-game push. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman earned the victory for Boston, while Skinner stopped shots for the hosts in front of 15,209 spectators.
Dostál Stifles Vegas as Hertl Nets First Czech Goal of the Season
Elsewhere in the NHL, goaltender Lukáš Dostál delivered a standout performance for the Anaheim Ducks in a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Dostál stopped 27 of 30 shots to record a .900 save percentage, helping the Ducks withstand a third-period rally from Vegas and earning third-star honors.
Anaheim built a 4-0 lead through two periods behind tallies from Sennecke, Killorn, Malott, and Carlsson. However, the Golden Knights surged in the final frame with goals from Theodore, Tomáš Hertl, and Bowman. Hertl converted on a power play off a feed from Mitch Marner, registering five shots on goal and becoming the first Czech player to score in the new regular season.
Jiříček Makes NHL Debut as St. Louis Blanks Dallas
Defenseman Adam Jiříček skated in his first regular-season contest in North America, making his NHL debut on the top defensive pairing for the St. Louis Blues in a 4-0 shutout victory against the Dallas Stars. Jiříček logged over 16 minutes of ice time, recorded two shots, and finished with a positive plus-minus rating.
The young blueliner thought he had scored his first career goal during a third-period power play, but a coach’s challenge successfully overturned the play for offside. Slovak forward Dalibor Dvorský added a goal for the Blues in the second period, capitalizing on a loose puck near the crease after Stars goaltender Oettinger lost his footing.
NHL Nightly Results Overview
The schedule featured several additional matchups across North America:
- New York Rangers 2, Detroit Red Wings 0 (Goals by Durzi and Tolvanen; goaltender Garand earned the shutout).
- Washington Capitals 5, Carolina Hurricanes 2 (Tuch scored twice for Washington, supported by tallies from Hutson, Chychrun, and Leonard).
- St. Louis Blues 4, Dallas Stars 0 (McTavish, Dvorský, Snuggerud, and Suter provided the offense in front of goaltender Hofer).
- Anaheim Ducks 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 (Dostál made 27 saves to preserve the road win).
Worth a look
