The visiting Bruins trailed the Ottawa Senators 3-1 with less than two minutes remaining. But Mark Recchi scored at 18:28, David Krejci tied it with 22 seconds left in regulation and Patrice Bergeron got the only goal of the shootout to give Boston a stunning 4-3 victory at Scotiabank Place on Saturday night.
"I thought we were going to lose once we were down 3-1 with two minutes left," said goalie Tim Thomas, who made 30 saves and stopped three shootout attempts. "You never give, but I don't think anybody in the building expected that."
Certainly not the Senators, who broke a 1-1 tie when Milan Michalek scored at 9:14 of the third period and seemed to put the game away on Mike Fisher's unassisted goal at 11:13.
But two defensive breakdowns ended up costing the Senators a point.
"There's two guys open in front with 30 seconds left," Elliott said. "That really can't happen. We really need to communicate better in our own end especially when we're trying to close out a game."
Recchi played in his 1,500th game and is now one assist shy of 900. His 1,445 points are third-most since the 1988-89 season.
"I won't forget it, that's for sure," said Recchi, who was given a rousing ovation by Ottawa fans. "It was awesome to get an ovation like that. It was pretty special and I appreciate it and I appreciate the fans."
Capitals 3, Islanders 2 (OT) | HIGHLIGHTS
The best way to beat the struggling Islanders seems to be to give them a multi-goal lead. Washington became the third team to overcome a third-period deficit of two or more goals when Mike Green and Keith Aucoin scored before Brooks Laich beat Dwayne Roloson 60 seconds into OT.
The Isles (1-4-4) got a shorthanded goal by Radek Martinek in the first period and grabbed a 2-0 lead when Jeff Tambellini scored early in the third. But again, they couldn't hang on -- they blew a 3-0 lead at Boston in a shootout loss two weeks ago and saw a 3-1 lead disappear against Carolina on Wednesday before winning in a shootout. They also blew two one-goal leads in a shootout loss to Pittsburgh on opening night.
"We're not paying attention to details. It always happens around the seven-minute mark," Islanders defenseman Brendan Witt said. "We just have to fix it and find an answer for it.
SATURDAY'S RESULTS
- Canadiens 5, Rangers 4 (OT) | Highlights
- Bruins 4, Senators 3 (SO) | Highlights
- Capitals 3, Islanders 2 (OT) | Highlights
- Flyers 5, Panthers 1 | Highlights
- Sharks 4, Thrashers 3 | Highlights
- Canucks 3, Maple Leafs 1 | Highlights
- Devils 4, Penguins 1 | Highlights
- Sabres 3, Lightning 2 (SO) | Highlights
- Stars 4, Blues 1 | Highlights
- Wild 3, Hurricanes 2 (OT) | Highlights
- Blackhawks 2, Predators 0 | Highlights
- Avalanche 3, Red Wings 1 | Highlights
- Kings 5, Coyotes 3 | Highlights
- Flames 5, Oilers 2 | Highlights
- Blue Jackets 6, Ducks 4 | Highlights
"We think we had a good effort, but we should've gotten the two points.
Green set up the winner when he raced up ice and floated a pass across the crease to Laich, who deflected it past Roloson to give the Capitals (6-2-2) their fourth straight win.
"I knew that he was there," Green said. "Brooks goes to the net and I was just hoping that he would get a stick on it and he did."
Canucks 3, Maple Leafs 1 | HIGHLIGHTS
Mason Raymond ended his scoring drought. Toronto's season-opening victory drought has reached historic proportions
Raymond, pointless in his last five games, scored twice for the Canucks as the Leafs fell to 0-7-1, the worst start in franchise history. He was credited with a first-period power-play goal that was put into the net by Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek to open the scoring, then added an empty-netter.
"I've had quite a few chances the past few games and haven't had anything go in … they weren't pretty tonight but I'm happy they went in," Raymond said. "I'm getting some chances and that's what counts, but ultimately I'm just glad our line is playing well and generally the team is doing better."
Ryan Kesler's goal with 2:28 left in the opening period made it 2-0, and Roberto Luongo did the rest, stopping 35 shots and allowing only a second-period power-play goal to Niklas Hagman.
"Roberto tonight gave us a chance to win this game," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "They played a really strong game, they had a lot of scoring chances, but our goaltender was the best player on the ice tonight."
The Leafs had never started a season by going eight games without a win. They may have played their best game of the season -- but it still wasn't enough to keep them from being the only team in the League without a victory.
"We did everything we had to do except bury the scoring chances we had," coach Ron Wilson said. "If we'd have played Luongo two weeks ago we might have scored six goals, but tonight when was on top of things and made a couple of real stretch saves that only a guy like he can make."
Devils 4, Penguins 1 | HIGHLIGHTS
Martin Brodeur came up a half-period short of his record-tying 103rd shutout, but just about everything else went right for the Devils as they cooled off the red-hot Penguins.
Brodeur was 10:24 from tying Terry Sawchuk's record for regular-season shutouts before Alex Goligoski hammered in a rebound. He stopped the other 32 shots he faced.
"It's all about winning," Brodeur said of losing the shutout. "We're going to go through this [discussion about the shutouts record] a lot as we go through games. It will be close a lot where hopefully it's going to happen, but it will happen eventually. That's my attitude about it. I'm just happy because this was a big win for us."
The Devils got a first-period goal from rookie Mark Fraser -- their first by a defenseman this season -- a second-period tally from Niclas Bergfors and third-period goals by Travis Zajac and Zach Parise to improve to 5-0-0 on the road and end Pittsburgh's seven-game winning streak.
"I really enjoyed the game because we had no passengers; everyone did their job and was good with the puck," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "[The Penguins] were waiting for a little life, which we never gave them."
The Penguins seemed a half-step slow all night.
"I think they played the way that they wanted to play tonight," Goligoski said. "And they played better than we did."
Wild 3, Hurricanes 2 (OT) | HIGHLIGHTS
Welcome back, Cal Clutterbuck.
In his first game back after missing five with a sprained ankle, Clutterbuck got the winner 1:55 into overtime as the Wild improved to 3-0-0 at home.
It wasn't the prettiest goal he'll ever score.
Clutterbuck, who was initially expected to miss a couple of months, knocked in a rebound of a shot by Greg Zanon as goalie Cam Ward was sprawling back across the crease.
"The puck hit me in the face off the post. Then it dropped down in the slot and I managed to find it," Clutterbuck said. "I just waved at it and it went in. Pretty lucky actually."
Clutterbuck set an NHL record with 356 hits last season, but was injured two weeks ago in San Jose. He began skating with the team earlier this week, but didn't get medical clearance to play until Saturday afternoon.
"He's definitely a guy we need," Zanon said. "He's hard on the forecheck and makes the opposing team not want to go after the puck. His work ethic is unbelievable. He deserved that goal out there tonight."
Carolina's Sergei Samsonov and Minnesota's Andrew Brunette had first-period power-play goals. Kyle Brodziak put Minnesota ahead 1:51 into the second period, but Joni Pitkanen tipped the puck past Niklas Backstrom at 7:35 to get the 'Canes even.
Carolina went home with an 0-2-2 record on a four-game trip. They hurt themselves with nine minor penalties and left coach Paul Maurice displeased.
"We have to be responsible for the ones that are stick infractions that are legitimate," Maurice said, "but I wasn't very pleased with the slant of the way that game went in terms of the calls that were made."
Sharks 4, Thrashers 3 | HIGHLIGHTS
San Jose hung on after nearly blowing a three-goal lead in Atlanta.
Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau scored to put the Sharks up by three 55 seconds into the second period. After Todd White got an unassisted goal at 3:58, Marleau connected during a power play at 9:19 -- a goal that proved to be the winner when Rich Peverley and Evander Kane got goals for Atlanta.
But the comeback was hampered because of an injury to captain Ilya Kovalchuk. He didn't return after taking a puck off his foot 8:43 into the first period. "He's going to the doctor, probably Monday morning, have it scanned and X-rayed to figure out what it is," Atlanta coach John Anderson said.
The Sharks didn't mind not having to face him.
"I didn't mind him being out, I'm not going to lie to you," goalie Evgeni Nabokov said. "I wish him well. He's a good person."
All four San Jose goals came against Johan Hedberg, who stopped only eight of 12 shots.
"Very disappointing to lose the last two games," Hedberg said. "We came back from a great trip and wanted to get everything moving. It's a long season, and we need to learn from this and move on from here."
Flyers 5, Panthers 1 | HIGHLIGHTS
Daniel Briere's two goals powered the Flyers, but an injury to Florida forward David Booth overshadowed the victory.
Booth, who had Florida's lone goal, was taken off the ice on a stretcher near the end of the second period following a hard blow to the face from Flyers captain Mike Richards. He was hospitalized overnight.
Richards was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct. He could face a suspension, pending a review.
"I'm never out there to hurt anyone," Richards said. "I have respect for the game and respect for the players. My concern is with him. Hopefully, he's fine and gets better. I just wanted to separate him from the puck. He dished it off and everything happened so quickly. I don't have a history of head shots, and I don't even know if it was a head shot."
Panthers GM Randy Sexton didn't see it that way, saying "there is no place" in hockey for hits like that.
The Panthers' mood changed after Booth left.
"You're worried about his welfare," coach Peter DeBoer said. "It's a scary sight when you have a player totally unconscious on the ice. You're not thinking about hockey. You're hoping he's all right."
Blackhawks 2, Panthers 0 | HIGHLIGHTS
It was a night for goaltender Cristobal Huet to bask in the cheers at the United Center, where he's been booed more than once this season. Huet made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season as Chicago blanked Nashville.
He wasn't heavily tested in his 21st career shutout, but was sharp throughout the game after a couple of shaky outings at home. He was booed loudly after a 4-3 loss to Dallas last Saturday.
"I think it was good for me to regroup myself a little bit," Huet said. "I think I was more aggressive, more desperate. I saw the puck pretty well. I have to keep doing that the rest of the season."
Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd scored 54 seconds apart midway through the second period as the Hawks won without captain Jonathan Toews and top-four defenseman Brent Seabrook. Both missed the game with what the team called "upper-body injuries."
Nashville fell to 1-6-1 in its last eight and was shut out for the third time this season. The Predators were unable to build on Thursday's 6-5 overtime win at Ottawa.
"We knew he [Huet] might be a little bit nervous about this one and wanted to get on him, but we couldn't get one by him." coach Barry Trotz said. "We need one to sort of build on and we didn't get the one."
Stars 4, Blues 1 | HIGHLIGHTS
The Stars might want to consider moving some games out of Dallas if they continue to enjoy this kind of success on the road. Marty Turco made 26 saves as Dallas improved to 4-0-3 on the road. The Stars are just 1-2-1 at home.
"I think we should be having success at home as well and I believe we will," coach Marc Crawford said. "We haven't been able to initialize our plan of attack when we've had a game home. If you can play well on the road, you should be able to play well at home. It's tougher on the road because you don't get the matches you want. You've got to be really sharp."
James Neal and Loui Eriksson scored in the second period for Dallas, and third period-goals by Tom Wandell and Brian Sutherby made it 4-1 before Alex Pietrangelo ruined Turco's shutout bid with 3:50 left in regulation.
Eriksson's power-play goal at 10:17 of the second period appeared to deflate the Blues.
"We lost our focus in the second period, didn't stick with our game and then we started to try and do too much individually for a while and they took advantage," St. Louis coach Andy Murray said.
Turco is showing signs of returning to the All-Star form he lost last season.
"It was the best I've felt all year," Turco said. "There were opportunities to see a lot of pucks. I got fortunate on a few missed shots or rebounds or tips."
Kings 5, Coyotes 3 | HIGHLIGHTS
Jarrett Stoll picked the right time to score his first goals of the second, twice giving the Kings the lead as Los Angeles repaid the Coyotes for an opening-night loss in L.A. by winning in Phoenix.
Stoll broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal when he took a pass from Scott Parse in the low left slot, faked Ilya Bryzgalov to the ice with a backhand move and pulled the puck across for a forehand shot into the open right side 2:16 into the third period.
Dustin Brown also scored twice, Wayne Simmonds added a third-period goal and Anze Kopitar had three assists to help the Kings win their third straight game and end the Coyotes' four-game winning streak.
"I really like the way our team adjusted in several different areas of our game," said Los Angeles coach Terry Murray, whose Kings lost 6-3 to the Coyotes in the season opener. "It was an attitude to want the puck, to want to make plays and to hold on to the puck. We started doing that more the middle of last season but started getting away from it a little bit."
Shane Doan scored twice for Phoenix, but Coyotes' coach Dave Tippett wasn't happy that his team allowed three power-play goals, though the last was Brown's shot into an empty net.
"Empty-net goals don't matter to me," he said. "It's giving up three power-play goals that is frustrating to me. That means you've got to score four to win."
Blue Jackets 6, Ducks 4 | HIGHLIGHTS
Columbus blew a 4-2 lead in the third period, but regrouped and left the Honda Center with two points after Fedor Tyutin scored with 3:22 remaining to break a 4-4 tie.
Tyutin's slap shot from the blue line surprised Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who was injured on the play and was replaced by Jonas Hiller. Rick Nash hit the empty net for the final margin.
Jakub Voracek had two of the Jackets' four goals in the second period, but Joffrey Lupul and Teemu Selanne scored in the first 7:43 of the third to get the Ducks even. However, the Jackets didn't panic.
"That's the difference about our team this year," said Nash, who also scored in the big second period. "A couple years ago we'd get down a goal on the road and fold our cards, but now we don't let it discourage us -- we stick with it. It's a true tale tonight -- the way we played."
It was another wasted night for the Ducks, who've been plagued by inconsistency
"It’s a frustrating time right now with the way things are going," said center Ryan Getzlaf, who assisted on three goals. "We came out and had a good effort in the first period. We had that lead and let it slip away. It’s a hard thing to figure out, but we have to do it and do it quick."
Flames 5, Oilers 2 | HIGHLIGHTS
This time, the Flames didn't need any last-minute magic. Nigel Dawes scored twice at the Pengrowth Saddledome as Calgary beat Edmonton for the third time in three weeks.
The first two wins came in Edmonton -- one on a last-minute misplay by Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the other in a shootout after the Flames tied the score in the final seconds of regulation. This time, they ran off four straight goals after Lubomir Visnovsky scored a power play 2:25 into the game.
"For the most part it was a pretty solid hockey game," Flames coach Brent Sutter said. "We had a lot of very good hockey players here tonight."
Dawes, Eric Nystrom and David Moss beat Khabibulin in the second period and Dawes added a power-play goal with 7:33 left in the third.
Dustin Penner had a power-play goal late in the second period for the Oilers, who managed just 25 shots on Miikka Kiprusoff.
"Once they had little a lead, we reverted to solo play, and we abandoned the game plan," an unhappy Edmonton coach Pat Quinn said. "We had a lot of guys cheating to get some offense, but you don't get it when you cheat."
Material from wire services and team broadcast and online media was used in this report.
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