Bruins extend streak with OT win over Hurricanes

David Krejci’s overtime goal gave the B’s a 4-3 victory that extended their points streak to 17 games, and gave them eight straight wins at TD Garden

BOSTON -- They can’t even beat themselves these days.

The Bruins fell behind by two goals and took two too-many-men penalties on Tuesday night at TD Garden, but shook off those challenges and others to beat the Hurricanes in overtime, 4-3, to extend their points streak to 17 games (13-0-4). The B’s won their fourth straight game overall, and their eighth in a row at home, taking down a team that had won five straight.

David Krejci scored the winner 1:46 into OT, after Jake DeBrusk stole a puck near Carolina’s net and hit Krejci just off the crease.

The Bruins passed the Hurricanes at 2:45 of the third period, while they were killing their second too-many-men penalty of the night. Brad Marchand stole a pass in the defensive zone, quickly turned it into a 2-on-1 rush, and completed the play by feeding Patrice Bergeron for the go-ahead goal.

The Hurricanes, wearing green Hartford Whalers uniforms in recognition of the franchise’s roots, tied it with 7:43 left in regulation, when Justin Williams drilled a one-timer past Jaroslav Halak from the right circle.

The Bruins took a hit -- literally -- just 3:15 into the game, when Marcus Johansson had to leave after a collision with Micheal Ferland that flattened both players. Ferland, who threw the check, got right up, but Johansson spent a good deal of time on the ice before he got to his feet and skated slowly off the ice.

The next several shifts were filled with hits, and David Backes challenging Ferland to a fight after a faceoff. That left the Bruins without two right wings (Johansson and Backes) for five minutes.

The Hurricanes went ahead shortly after the game settled down, on one of their relatively few offensive possessions of the period. Trevor van Riemsdyk got a shot through traffic from the right point that Halak directed all the way to the left point, and Calvin de Haan snapped the long-distance rebound from there. That shot hit Charlie Coyle’s stick before striking Sebastian Aho’s skate in the crease, and finally breaking off Zdeno Chara’s foot and across the goal line at 6:30.

Aho, who extended a points streak to six games with his 27th goal, took advantage of some sloppy play in the neutral zone to score his 28th just 1:10 into the second. Aho was wide open between John Moore and Matt Grzelcyk at the Bruins’ blue line, took a pass from Nino Niederreiter, and beat Halak with a breakaway backhander.

The Bruins’ comeback started at 12:28. Brandon Carlo took a shot from the right circle that Curtis McElhinney stopped, but didn’t control. Chris Wagner chopped the puck home for his 10th of the season, and the B’s were within a goal.

They tying goal came with 1:48 left in period. Krejci won a puck battle of the left wing boards and pushed it into the Hurricanes zone on a 2-on-1 with Jake DeBrusk, but the passing lane was shut off. Krejci shot’s was stopped, but DeBrusk scooped the rebound over McElhinney’s left arm to make it 2-2. DeBrusk’s 22nd of the year extended a hot streak; it was his eighth goal and 14th point in his last 10 games.