The Boston Bruins finished off a back and forth battle with the Florida Panthers last night on an overtime goal by David Pastrnak, a thing of beauty that needs to be seen to be appreciated, and sent the Bruins faithful home buzzing about the team's 4-3 win.
Skating three on three in the overtime, Pastrnak took a no-look behind the back pass from David Krejci in stride, faked inside against Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson, then went outside and around him like he was never there at all, skated across the crease of the goal and held the puck to get Roberto Luongo to commit to a low shot before going top shelf for the game-winner. It was like ballet on skates. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml_09PIdjm8
That was Pastrnak's second goal of the game and team-leading 15th of the year, and the talented 20-year old from the Czech Republic is now in the top three of goal-scorers in the NHL this season. The Bruins also got goals from Tim Schaller and David Backes and have now won three in a row as they prepare to take on the Washington Capitals in D.C. tomorrow night.
Not as good a ending for the Boston Celtics, who took a six point lead into the fourth quarter against the Rockets in Houston last night, but Rockets superstar James Harden came to the rescue, scoring 13 of his total 37 points in the final frame to edge Boston 107-106. The Celts did have a chance to win but Al Horford's shot at the buzzer didn't go through, rolling off the rim and out.
Elsewhere in the NBA Klay Thompson scored a career high 60 points as the Golden State Warriors destroyed the Indiana Pacers 142-106 and Michael Westbrook recorded his sixth straight triple double for the Oklahoma City Thunder with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in OKC's 102-99 win over Atlanta. One more triple double and Westbrook will have tied the seven straight some guy named Michael Jordan recorded back in 1989.
Monday Night Football was a bit of a snoozer unless you're an Indianapolis Colts fan, as Andrew Luck and the Colts made mincemeat of the NY Jets in a 41-10 romp. Andrew Luck threw for four touchdowns against the hapless Jets secondary, Darrelle Revis having an especially long night trying and failing to contain T.Y. Hilton, who had 9 catches for 146 yards on the night. The Colts are now at 6-6 with a shot at making the playoffs while the Jets are already scheming for next year. One thing I'll never understand is how the Jets always give the Patriots such fits while being doormats for the rest of the league.
