Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves, including several dandies during the Penguins’ potent push during the third period.
It was a fast and furious start with Khusnutdinov and Elias Lindholm landing point blank shots on Stuart Skinner in the first 20 seconds.
The Oilers castoff made a pair of big saves that looked even bigger when Erik Karlsson connected at the other end with just 42 ticks gone by to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.
Bryan Rust jumped on a Charlie McAvoy turnover and rimmed to the blue line, where Karlsson wristed one through traffic and over Swayman’s blocker for his fifth goal of the season.
The Bruins challenged the goal, arguing that Ben Kindel, who was jostling in the blue pain with Jonathan Aspirot, interfered with Swayman’s ability to make the stop.
The boys in Toronto said no dice, however, and the Bruins were penalized, but were able to kill it.
Anthony Mantha nearly made it 2-0 moments later on a breakaway, but Swayman flashed the right pad.
The Bruins then struck for a pair of goals to seize their first lead.
First it was Khusnutdinov.
The jitterbug winger snagged a pass from Mikey Eyssimont and sent a wrister from just inside the right circle past Skinner for his 13th goal of the season.
Fraser Minten wasn’t credited with an assist, but the rookie sure provided one, screening Skinner, who never saw Khusnutdinov’s dart at 5:10.
Bruins took the lead just 50 seconds later when Casey Mittelstadt buried his 13th goal of his first full campaign in Boston.
The play started with Pavel Zacha winning a battle in the right corner and sending the puck back to Nikita Zadorov, who landed a big shot on net. The rebound landed right on Mittelstadt’s stick and he snapped it in the open net at 6:00.
Penguins coach Dan Muse — of the Canton Muses — called timeout to settle his charges, but the Bruins set the pace for remainder of the period save for a pair of partial breakaways dandy chances by Egor Chinakhov (off the post) and Noel Acciari (off Swayman’s right pad).
Aspirot was whistled for a late tripping call that leaked into the second period, but the Bruins were able to squash it.
The second was more even with Swayman and Skinner locking in after their early hiccups.
Morgan Geekie had perhaps Boston’s best chance but his in-tight shot off a give-and-go from Hampus Lindholm was snagged by Skinner.
The clubs traded abbreviated power plays when Chinakhov clipped Mason Lohrei with a high stick but the Bruins couldn’t take advantage and were called for too many men on the ice with 40 seconds left on the power play.
The period ended with the Bruins on the power play (Mantha for cross-checking) and still clinging to that 2-1 lead.
Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.
