Guentzel’s 34th helps Pens snap Bruins’ streak

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

For the first time in nearly two months, the Boston Bruins ran out of time. It tends to happen when the Bruins play in Pittsburgh, no matter how hot they are.

Jared McCann scored twice, Matt Murray finished with 39 saves and the Penguins handed the Bruins their first regulation loss since January with a 4-2 victory on Sunday night.

Boston came in 15-0-4 in its last 19 games for the franchise’s longest point streak since 1940-41. A goal by John Moore with just more than a minute to go got Boston within one, but McCann’s empty-netter with 21 seconds left made the Bruins regulation losers for the first time since Jan. 19 against the New York Rangers.

“I think we can be proud of that, but not satisfied,” Moore said. “There’s no reason we can’t get back to work on Tuesday. That’s the special part about this group. Guys really push each other. We expect a lot out of each other.”

Then again, so do the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in seven games to strengthen their position in the race for a playoff spot. Pittsburgh rose to third in the Metropolitan Division with 13 games to go thanks in part to another steady performance by Murray and another jolt from McCann and Nick Bjugstad, who have thrived since arriving in a trade with Florida on Feb. 1.

McCann’s two goals — a short-handed breakaway in the first and his flip from near center ice in the waning seconds — gave him 16 goals on the season, eight of them coming in his 19 games with Pittsburgh. Bjugstad added his fifth with Pittsburgh, matching the total he put up in 32 games with Florida.

“They’re two real good players and they’ve embraced the roles we put them in,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

Jake Guentzel collected his team-high 34th goal for Pittsburgh, which kept Boston winless at PPG Paints Arena since December 2015 by jumping out early and then holding on late.

David Krejci picked up his 19th for the Bruins and Jaroslav Halak made 33 stops, but Boston was on its heels for most of the first period while falling into a two-goal deficit from which it couldn’t recover.

Bjugstad needed just 93 seconds to give the Penguins the lead.