Tomasino scores 3rd period goal to give Penguins 2-1 win over Bruins

BOSTON (AP) — Philip Tomasino scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, Tristan Jarry made 31 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Friday night.

Tomasino’s first goal of the season with 12:34 remaining came when the forward walked in from the left circle after the Bruins failed to clear the puck. Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell scored his ninth goal of the season with less than a second remaining in the second period.

Charlie Coyle scored and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves for Boston.

Coyle scored 1:24 into the game, taking advantage of a breakdown in the Pittsburgh zone for his fifth goal of the season. The Bruins were eight-tenths of a second away from remaining ahead 1-0 heading into the third period, but Rakell scored on a feed from Sidney Crosby from behind the Boston net to tie the game.

Penguins: Playing in his second game with a Pittsburgh team that’s now won two straight, Tomasino was credited with six shots on net. The 23-year-old was traded by Nashville earlier in the week.

Bruins: Boston went 0 for 3 on the power play.

With eight minutes remaining and the Penguins up one goal, Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang saved a goal with Coyle staring at an empty net.

Crosby now has 15 assists to go along with eight goals in 25 games. The Pittsburgh great and Wayne Gretzky are tied for the most point-per-game seasons in NHL history with 19 apiece.

Penguins: Return home to face Calgary on Saturday night.

Bruins: Host Montreal on Sunday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Boston Bruins' Charlie Coyle (13) celebrates after his goal against Pittsburgh Penguins' Tristan Jarry (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Erik Karlsson (65) and Boston Bruins' Pavel Zacha (18) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Bruins' Andrew Peeke (52) checks Pittsburgh Penguins' Michael Bunting (8) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman (1) blocks a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins' Philip Tomasino (53) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman (1) blocks a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang (58) defends against Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie (39) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell (67) celebrates after his goal with Sidney Crosby (87) and Marcus Pettersson (28) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Philip Tomasino (53) celebrates his goal with Evgeni Malkin (71), Erik Karlsson (65) and Marcus Pettersson (28) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed his country will “invariably support” Russia’s war in Ukraine as he met Russia's defense chief, the North’s state media reported Saturday.

A Russia military delegation led by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday, amid growing international concern about the two countries’ expanding cooperation after North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia last month.

The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim and Belousov reached “a satisfactory consensus” on boosting strategic partnership and defending each country’s sovereignty, security interests and international justice in the face of the rapidly-changing international security environments in a Friday meeting.

Kim said that North Korea “will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ moves for hegemony,” KCNA said.

North Korea has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a defensive response to what both Moscow and Pyongyang call NATO’s “reckless” eastward advance and U.S.-led moves to stamp out Russia’s position as a powerful state.

Kim slammed a U.S. decision earlier in November to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles as a direct intervention in the conflict. He called recent Russian strikes on Ukraine “a timely and effective measure" demonstrate Russia's resolve, KCNA said.

According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia and some of them have already begun engaging in combat on the frontlines. U.S., South Korean and others say North Korea has also shipped artillery systems, missiles and other conventional weapons to replenish Russia’s exhausted weapons inventory.

Both North Korea and Russia haven’t formally confirmed the North Korean troops’ movements, and have steadfastly denied reports of weapons shipments.

South Korea, the U.S. and their partners are concerned that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles.

Last week, South Korean national security adviser Shin Wonsik told a local SBS TV program that that Seoul assessed that Russia has provided air defense missile systems to North Korea. He said Russia also appeared to have given economic assistance to North Korea and various military technologies, including those needed for the North’s efforts to build a reliable space-based surveillance system.

Belousov also met North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol on Friday. During a dinner banquet later the same day, Belousov said the the two countries' strategic partnership was crucial to defend their sovereignty from aggression and the arbitrary actions of imperialists, KCNA said.

In June, Kim and Putin signed a treaty requiring both countries to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked. It's considered the two countries’ biggest defense deal since the end of the Cold War.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Pyongyang, North Korea Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, meets Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Pyongyang, North Korea Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)