Peterka Wins It in OT as Bruins Rally Late to Stun the Jets, 4-3

By Soapz · Oct 3, 2026

Okay, B's fans, if you went to bed early on Friday night, I'm sorry, because you missed a good one. Down a goal in the final two minutes in Winnipeg, with Jeremy Swayman on the bench for an extra attacker, the Bruins tied it with 1:38 left and then won it in overtime. Elias Lindholm got the equalizer, JJ Peterka got the winner, and Boston walked out of Canada Life Centre with a 4-3 win and a 2-0-0 record. These are the games that build a team.

It wasn't a perfect night, and the Jets carried a lot of the play for long stretches. But this team just kept pushing, kept believing, and in the end found a way. Oh, and a certain 19-year-old rookie scored his first NHL goal. Let's get into it.

First period: a fight, a bomb and a first

The Jets struck first at 4:52 of the first, when Dylan DeMelo stepped into a slap shot from the point and beat Swayman with Morgan Barron and Adam Lowry setting it up. Not ideal, but it was early, and the Bruins didn't let it linger. A few minutes later, Mark Kastelic squared off with Tyrel Bauer at 7:08, and you could feel the Boston bench wake up. Kas always seems to know when the team needs a spark.

Two minutes after the fight, Hampus Lindholm answered. Morgan Geekie and Will Borgen worked the puck back to the point, and Lindholm hammered a slap shot past Stuart Skinner at 9:23. 1-1.

And then came the moment of the night for a lot of people. At 15:20, Nikita Zadorov and Kastelic got the puck to James Hagens, and the kid ripped a wrist shot from right on the doorstep past Skinner for his first goal in the NHL. 2-1 Bruins. The whole bench was on its feet, and you could see Hagens trying not to smile too big. He's been the most talked-about prospect in this organization for a long time, and now he's on the board. Somebody get that puck to his parents.

Second period: Winnipeg pushes back

The second period was a grind, and it belonged mostly to the Jets. Elias Lindholm went to the box for tripping at 1:34, and it took Winnipeg just 16 seconds to make it count. Kyle Connor, who's one of the best pure goal scorers in the league, snapped one home off feeds from Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti. 2-2.

Not long after that, things got a little spicy. At 2:19, Bauer and Kuraly got into it, and Bauer ended up with both a roughing and a cross-checking minor while Kuraly got roughing. That gave Boston a power play, but the Bruins couldn't cash in. Barron took a tripping penalty at 16:05, too, and that power play came up empty as well. You can only waste so many chances against a team as good as Winnipeg before it costs you.

And it did. With eight seconds left in the period, Mario Ferraro jumped up and beat Swayman with a wrist shot, with Lowry and Connor on the assists. 3-2 Jets heading to the third, and a goal that late always stings a little extra.

Third period: never say die

The Bruins came out for the third with a lot of jump, even if the shots weren't always going their way. Jonathan Aspirot took a high-sticking penalty at 7:55, but the penalty kill stood tall and kept it a one-goal game. Swayman made a couple of big saves in that stretch too, and that's the reason the comeback was possible at all.

As the clock wound down, Marco Sturm pulled Swayman for the extra attacker, and the Bruins went to work. Pastrnak and Mason Lohrei moved the puck around the zone, and with 1:38 to go, Pastrnak's shot found Elias Lindholm's stick in front for a perfect tip-in. 3-3! A huge goal for a guy who took the penalty that led to the Jets' power-play goal. Talk about making up for it.

Overtime: JJ ends it

Three-on-three overtime is chaos at the best of times, and this one was no exception. Both teams traded chances, and Swayman made a couple of tough stops to keep it alive. Then, at 3:21 of the extra period, Pastrnak and Zadorov sprung Peterka, and JJ snapped a wrist shot past Skinner for the win. 4-3 Bruins. That's two goals in two games for Peterka, and the first overtime winner of his Bruins career.

Pasta the playmaker

The captain didn't score, but he was everywhere. Pastrnak led all Bruins forwards with 22:04 of ice time, had four shots on goal and picked up the primary assist on both the tying goal and the overtime winner. When he's moving the puck like that, he makes everybody on the ice with him better.

Peterka and Elias Lindholm each had five shots on goal, and those two were the most dangerous Bruins all night. Lohrei played almost 22 minutes and was solid moving the puck up the ice, and Hampus Lindholm logged over 21 minutes with a goal to show for it.

The rookie's moment

Let's go back to Hagens for a second. The first NHL goal is a moment every player remembers forever, and his came on the road, in a loud building, in a game his team needed. He didn't just score, either. He was competitive all night, getting to the hard areas and making plays. There's going to be a lot of noise around him this season, but nights like this are a reminder that the talent is real.

Sway got it done

Three goals against isn't going to win Swayman any awards, but 30 saves on 33 shots in a building like this is a solid night. He was the third star of the game, and he made the saves he needed to make in the third period and overtime. The Jets were better than the Bruins for parts of this game, and Sway is a big reason that didn't matter in the end.

Soapz's report card

JJ Peterka: A. Five shots, the overtime winner and a constant threat every time he touched the puck. Two games, two goals, and he already looks like a perfect fit next to the skill guys.

David Pastrnak: A-. No goal, but two primary assists on the two biggest goals of the night and over 22 minutes of hard minutes. That's a captain's game.

James Hagens: A-. First NHL goal, and he earned it by going to the front of the net. He's not playing like a teenager who's nervous about the moment. He's playing like he wants the puck.

Elias Lindholm: B+. The tripping penalty hurt, no doubt about it. But five shots and the tying goal with the goalie pulled more than make up for it.

Jeremy Swayman: B+. Three goals against, but none of them were soft, and he was excellent in the third period and overtime when one more goal would have ended it.

Mark Kastelic: B+. Dropped the gloves to wake up the bench and then set up Hagens' first goal. That's the full fourth-line package.

The power play: D. Two chances, no goals and a lot of passing on the perimeter. It has to get better, and soon.

Looking ahead: Minnesota on Saturday

No rest for the weary. The Bruins head straight to St. Paul for a date with the Wild on the second night of the back-to-back. Minnesota is always tough at home, and with tired legs, it'll be a real test of this team's depth. Expect Michael DiPietro to get the start in goal. Things to watch: Can the power play find some life? Can the Bruins avoid falling behind early again? And can Hagens build on his big night?

Our takeaways

This team doesn't quit. Down late on the road, and they found a way. Peterka is clutch. Two goals in two games, including an overtime winner. Hagens has arrived. First NHL goal, and hopefully many more to come. The power play needs work. It went 0-for-2 and gave up a goal against right after a penalty.

That's 2-0-0, B's fans. On to Minnesota! 🐻

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