Marchand hat trick helps Bruins end Penguins winning streak at five

BOSTON --Brad Marchand scored a hat trick to help the Boston Bruins end the Pittsburgh Penguins' five-game winning streak, 7-5 at TD Garden on Saturday.

David Pastrnak had two goals and an assist, and Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves for Boston (19-10-5), which scored five goals in the second period.
The Bruins matched their season high after scoring 11 goals in their past five games.
"It was all our top guys tonight," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Obviously, you're going to have games like this throughout the course of the year. I think with the type of resumes that they have -- 'Pasta', 'Marchy', 'Bergy' (Patrice Bergeron), 'Krech' (David Krejci) -- these guys, they're going to have some games.
"We just haven't had a lot of them for whatever reason. We've run into some really good goaltending. And I thought the goals we scored today were excellent. There were no fluky ones, no freebies other than the empty-netter. High-end plays by high-end players."

Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel each scored one goal with two assists, and Casey DeSmith allowed six goals on 27 shots for Pittsburgh (24-12-2), which was 6-0-1 in its past seven games. The Penguins won here 4-1 on Thursday.
"I think it's such a game of emotion and it's just the human element of sports, and sometimes it gets away from you. It did tonight for us," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "And so we've just got to make sure that we learn from it and just focus on the moment. And I think that's the important thing, is just making sure that you just concern yourself with that shift right in front of you and then you pay attention to the details associated with how we're trying to play the game."
Mark Jankowski scored on a redirection in front at 3:24 of the first period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.
Bergeron scored 11 seconds into the second period to tie it 1-1, and Pastrnak made it 2-1 at 0:45. Krejci got his 500th NHL assist on Pastrnak's goal.
Guentzel tied it 2-2 at 2:45 before Jared McCann's power-play goal put the Penguins ahead 3-2 at 5:11.

Marchand tied it 3-3 at 14:56 of the second. Krejci scored a power-play goal on a pass from Marchand to give Boston a 4-3 lead at 18:29, and Marchand extended the lead to 5-3 at 19:40.
"In the second period, just attention to detail for us," Guentzel said. "We've got to be better there. It happens sometimes, so we've just got to learn from it and move on. Love the compete. We had to try and get back in the game in the third."
Cody Ceci scored at 9:53 of the third period to cut the lead to 5-4. Pastrnak made it 6-4 at 13:28.

With DeSmith pulled for an extra skater, Crosby scored a shorthanded goal to cut the lead to 6-5 at 18:45. It was his first shorthanded goal since Nov. 27, 2010.
Marchand completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:59 for the 7-5 final.
"Well we definitely needed two points," Krejci said. "We're trying to build something here. We only have 20 or so games left before playoffs (22) and it seems like a lot, but it's not. You've got to start creating good habits, play the right way and keep winning games. So that was a good step in the right direction."
NOTES: Bergeron tied Rick Middleton for fourth on the Bruins points list (898). Ray Bourque is first (1,506). … Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson scored his 100th NHL point when he assisted on Jankowski's goal. He has 36 goals and 64 assists in 329 games with the Penguins and Florida Panthers. … Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) didn't play and is considered week to week. … Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry (upper body) missed his second straight game. … The seven goals in the second were the second most in a period this season. The Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators combined for eight in the first period of an 8-5 Oilers win Jan. 31.