Drew Stafford and Zdeno Chara also scored for the Bruins, who extended their season-high winning streak to six games. More importantly, by winning in regulation, Boston guaranteed a return to the postseason after missing out the last two years.
Boston fans celebrated by cheering throughout the final two minutes. After the final horn, the Bruins swarmed Rask following his career-best eighth shutout of the season.
Rask faced only four shots in the first period but was ready when the Lightning generated pressure after that.
Andrei Vasilevskiy kept Tampa Bay close with 34 saves.
Stafford was the first to beat him, backhanding in a rebound 5:56 into the second period. Pastrnak made it 2-0 on a one-timer with 3:54 left in the second and added another goal into an empty net with 1:02 remaining in the third off a pass from David Krejci, who had two assists.
The Bruins haven’t lost since the Lightning’s 6-3 victory in Boston on March 23.
The loss didn’t knock the Lightning out of playoff contention, but Tampa Bay fell dangerously close with just three games remaining.
It might have been a costly victory for the Bruins, who played the last two periods without leading scorer Brad Marchand after he speared Tampa Bay’s Jake Dotchin in front of the Lightning net. Marchand received a five-minute major and game misconduct (on his bobblehead night), which could keep him off the ice longer once the NHL takes a look at the video.
Marchand has been suspended six times in his career and was fined the maximum $10,000 by the league earlier this season for a questionable hit.
NOTES: Marchand has a career-high 39 goals and is trying to become Boston’s first 40-goal scorer since Glen Murray had 44 in 2002-03.
UP NEXT
Lightning: At the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday in the second of three straight on the road.
Bruins: Host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in Boston’s second-to-last game of the regular season.
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