Pavel Zacha Lifts Bruins with Overtime Winner Against Senators
The Boston Bruins secured their fifth consecutive win with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at TD Garden. The result avenged their toughest defeat of the season, a 7-2 setback in Ottawa just a week earlier.
Decisive Overtime Moment
Pavel Zacha sealed the win with 5.5 seconds left in overtime, jamming home a feed from Charlie McAvoy past Linus Ullmark. The goal capped a chaotic final minute of the extra period, during which Boston earned and then instantly lost a power play before rallying for the dramatic finish.
McAvoy’s Key Performance
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy logged a game-high 26 minutes and delivered his finest shift of the night in overtime, creating multiple scoring chances with his speed and vision.
“Charlie made a hell of a play,” said Bruins coach Marco Sturm. “For big win.”
Zacha on the Winning Play
Zacha emphasized the importance of getting McAvoy the puck in overtime, where extra space on the ice allows for more creativity and acceleration.
“He’s a great skater and he beat his guy and made it a two-on-one and then he made a great play,” said Zacha. “That’s something in overtime where he used his skill and took over.”
Motivation from Past Defeat
The Bruins improved to 9-7 with their sixth win in seven games. Zacha noted that the memory of the previous week’s 7-2 loss in Ottawa served as strong motivation for the team.
“I think that was a big motivation for us,” said Zacha. “We had a bad game there and lost badly, so I think before this one we were ready to respond and I’m happy that we won.”
Author’s summary: Pavel Zacha’s late overtime heroics gave the Bruins a fifth straight victory, powered by Charlie McAvoy’s dominant play and redemption after a tough loss in Ottawa.