Boston Bruins 2, Pittsburgh Penguins 4: Final

Boston Bruins' P.J. Axelsson (11), of Sweden, celebrates his first-period goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with teammate Marc Savard (91) in an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

As seen on NESN -- The Pittsburgh Penguins Gary Roberts scored two goals as the Pens defeated the Boston Bruins Sunday afternoon in Pennsylvania, 4-2.

Roberts' first goal was part of a three goal second period that turned out to be too much of an onslaught for the B's to overcome despite receiving goals from P.J. Axelsson and Petteri Nokelainen.

"We were pushing all night," said Glen Metropolit. "It was a tough game and we tried to leave it all out there and came up short."

The wounded, but still fighting, Black & Gold had traveled to PA to hunt some penguins in a pre-Holiday throw down with Sidney Crosby and Co.

Backup netminder Alex Auld, now 4-3-1 for the Bruins since coming over to the B's from the San Antonio Rampage, was in goal for Boston to spell starter Tim Thomas who is 0-1-1 since returning from a groin injury that cost him several games earlier in December.

The game started well for the B's when P.J. Axelsson stuffed one home at 3:48 to put Boston up early, meanwhile Auld made that early goal stand up by making some nice saves in the opening stanza

Up 1-0, Boston went to their locker room in control of the contest.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, left, skates around Boston Bruins' Marco Sturm (16) in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

However, not long after the puck dropped for the second stanza Gary Roberts scored his second of the year at 2:16 of the session to tie the game at 1-1. Then, on the power play, Evgeni Malkin scored the Penguins second marker (13:04) followed closely by George Laraque's goal to make the scoreboard proclaim 3-1, Pittsburgh at 13:34.

"We could have done a better job of keeping the puck in the offensive zone," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "They broke out."

Despite Boston's continued pressure, and no doubt a healthy dose of coaching from Julien during the second intermission, Pittsburgh remained in control of the third period until, with 53 seconds left to play, rookie forward Nokelainen put one through Pittsburgh goalie Ty Conklin to make the score 3-2 Pitt.

But the Roberts took control of a loose puck and put the game away with a empty net goal at 19:50.

"We had some opportunities, but we just didn't bury (the puck)," said Metropolit to NESN's Rob Simpson after the game.

"I thought we battled hard," said Julien. "We got the momentum taken away in the second period and that was a real turning point in the game."

Boston next plays the Hurricanes in Carolina.