PITTSBURGH — Brad Marchand scored short-handed to cap Boston’s four-goal second period, and the Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4 on Saturday night.

Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist, and Jake DeBrusk, Kevin Shattenkirk, Danton Heinen and Morgan Geekie also scored as the Bruins regained the top spot in the Atlantic Division with their fifth win in six games. Linus Ullmark finished with 28 saves.

Boston can clinch the division title by winning one of its last two games, or if Florida loses its final game in regulation.

Michael Bunting scored twice, Drew O’Connor had a goal and an assist, and Bryan Rust also scored for the Penguins, who lost in regulation for the first time in 11 games (7-1-3). Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled after giving up three goals on 16 shots midway through the second period. He was replaced by Tristan Jarry, who stopped 12 of the 14 shots he faced.

The Penguins fell out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and now trail Washington, Detroit and Philadelphia by one point.

After O’Connor scored short-handed for Pittsburgh at 4:32 of the third to cut the deficit to 4-3, Geekie got his 17th of the season with 5:50 left to restore a two-goal lead.

Heinen added an empty-net goal with 2:47 remaining.

Boston got rebound goals from DeBrusk and Zacha 14 seconds apart in the second period to take a 2-0 lead. Zacha’s goal was his 20th and DeBrusk got his 19th.

Rust cut Pittsburgh’s deficit in half when he redirected O’Connor’s pass behind Ullmark for his career-high 28th.

Boston regained its two-goal advantage when Shattenkirk – back after missing three games as a healthy scratch – scored his sixth goal of the season, chasing Nedeljkovic from the game with 8:25 left in the second.

Marchand scored a short-handed goal on the first shot Jarry faced, giving Boston a 4-1 lead.

Bunting answered on the power play from the top of the crease 58 seconds later to make it 4-2.

Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson became the 398th player in NHL history, and 46th active player, to play in 1,000 career games. Karlsson, who split his career between Ottawa, San Jose and Pittsburgh, is the 18th Swedish-born player to reach the milestone, and he has 814 career points, ninth-most by a defenseman. During pregame warmups, the Penguins all wore Karlsson’s No. 65 jersey. Before the game, Karlsson, on the ice with his family, was presented a silver hockey stick and other gifts commemorating the accomplishment, and a video tribute aired with comments from former teammates Daniel Alfredsson, Joe Thornton and others.

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