Bruins vs. Penguins Recap: Pastrnak and Rakell Shot Props Cash

The Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 in regulation. Pittsburgh scored first on Justin Brazeau's snap shot at 9:04 of the 1st, then Boston answered with three straight goals before the first intermission. Nick Robertson's tip-in at 7:57 of the 2nd cut it to 3-2, but Boston scored the next three to pull away. All eight goals came at even strength, and each team had one power play without scoring on it. Boston outshot Pittsburgh 24-18. Michael DiPietro made 16 saves on 18 shots for Boston, while Arturs Silovs stopped 18 of 24 for Pittsburgh. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Rickard Rakell 2+ shots on goal (-310 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Rakell had 2+ shots on goal in each of his last five games, nine of his last ten and 13 of 15 this season, averaging 2.8 shots a game over his last ten. Steady volume was the angle. - What happened: Rakell put 3 shots on goal in 17:15 of ice time, with 1:42 on the power play and 1:08 shorthanded. His second shot on goal, a tip-in attempt at 17:30 of the 2nd, cleared the 1.5 line, and a slap shot at 7:16 of the 3rd put him 1.5 over. He had no points and finished -3. - Worth watching: He kept getting minutes in every situation even with Pittsburgh trailing most of the night. At -310 the price is steep, so the role and shot volume have to stay this steady to justify it.

David Pastrnak 3+ shots on goal (-210 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Pastrnak had 3+ shots on goal in four of his last five, eight of his last ten and 13 of 16 this season, at 3.4 shots a game over his last ten. We noted Boston had Tuesday off and that Pittsburgh projected Silovs in net. - What happened: Silovs did start, and Pastrnak tested him 4 times: once on the power play he drew at 5:30 of the 1st, again at 11:31 of the 1st, at 10:35 of the 2nd and at 6:04 of the 3rd. The third one cleared the 2.5 line, and he finished 1.5 over. He also set up both Pavel Zacha goals (12:07 of the 1st and 14:24 of the 2nd) for 2 assists in 20:23, the most ice time of any Boston forward. - Worth watching: Five more of his attempts did not hit the net and one was blocked, so the shot volume was there beyond the box score. His 1:56 of power-play time led all Boston skaters, which keeps him in line for extra looks.

How the game played out

The 1st period swung it. Boston outshot Pittsburgh 11-5 in the frame and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead on goals from Zacha, Mark Kastelic and Elias Lindholm. Pittsburgh pushed back in the 2nd with a 10-9 shot edge and Robertson's goal, but Zacha and Morgan Geekie scored in the back half of the period, and Fraser Minten added the only goal of the 3rd at 8:39. Boston also won 62.0 percent of faceoffs and blocked 22 shots to Pittsburgh's 7.

Trends to watch

• Zacha, Pastrnak and JJ Peterka combined on both Zacha goals, and Peterka logged 18:25 with 2 assists. That trio produced two of Boston's six goals.
• No Pittsburgh skater had more than 4 shots on goal. Brazeau led the team with 4 shots on goal, Rakell and Samuel Girard had 3 each, and Pittsburgh had only 3 shots on goal in the 3rd.
• Special teams barely mattered: one power play each, no goals, and every goal at even strength.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more, see our NHL board, the NHL recaps and our guide to the player prop.