Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Nikolai Kulemin scored with 49.7 seconds left in overtime, as Toronto tripped up Boston in a 4-3 final from Air Canada Centre.
Kulemin Scores In OT As Maple Leafs Edge Bruins
Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski broke out on a 2-on-1 following an end-to-end sequence that featured several scoring chances for both sides. Grabovski carried down the left wing and slid a pass into the slot for Kulemin. A back- checking Michael Ryder went down to take away the pass and disrupted the play, but also took out his own goalie Tim Thomas, and Kulemin fired into a wide open net.
Wayne Primeau, Carl Gunnarsson and Luca Caputi scored for the Maple Leafs in regulation for only their second win in the last seven games. Jonas Gustavsson stopped 26-of-29 shots to get the win.
Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm and Mark Recchi got the goals for Boston, which has lost two straight. Tim Thomas made several big stops but wound up on the wrong end of a 26-save effort.
Boston lit the scoreboard 2:47 into the game as Recchi swarmed the low slot and deflected a loose puck past Gustavsson.
Toronto got on the board midway through the second when Primeau finished off a 2-on-1 with a wrister between Thomas’ legs.
The B's reclaimed the lead with a power-play goal with 6:11 to play in the period. Sturm was stationed at the right side of the net and poked in the rebound of a Dennis Wideman point shot.
The Leafs got the equalizer off Gunnarsson’s blast through traffic with 1:22 to go.
Bergeron continued the back-and-forth scoring by putting in the rebound off a Recchi slapper 3:07 into the third, and Caputi’s backhander near the left post tied it again at 7:13.
Thomas denied Phil Kessel on a pair of partial breakaways down the stretch to force extra time, then turned back Grabovski and Luke Schenn from in close during overtime.
The Bruins fell to 1-0-1 on a seven-game road trip and to 15-11-6 as the visiting club this season...Toronto opened a three-game homestand Tuesday and moved to 12-14-5 as the host this year...Boston leads the season series with Toronto, 3-2...Schenn and Recchi both had two assists.
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