Rookie Frank Vatrano Earns First Career Hat Trick, Bruins Skate Past Penguins

By SHELLY ANDERSON
Associated Press

       PITTSBURGH (AP) – Frank Vatrano had three goals for his first career hat trick, Patrice Bergeron scored twice, and the Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2 Friday night to sweep the teams’ home-and-home series.

        Loui Eriksson also scored for Boston, which is 4-0-1 in its past five games, 10-1-3 in its past 14 games. Ryan Spooner added three assists and Brad Marchand added two.

        Conor Sheary, Vatrano’s college teammate at UMass, got his first two NHL points with a goal and an assist, and Trevor Daley scored his first goal with the Penguins, who are 0-3 since Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as the team’s head coach last weekend.

        Overall, Pittsburgh has lost four in a row (0-3-1) and six of its past seven to sit 12th in the Eastern Conference.

        Sidney Crosby had two assists for the Penguins to break a three-game point-scoring drought.
 
        AP-WF-12-19-15 0259GMT