Bruins 2, Sharks 1
BOSTON -- David Krejci deflected the game-winning goal past San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi with 0.8 seconds remaining Thursday night, leading the Boston Bruins to an improbable 2-1 victory over the Sharks, who were the league's last remaining unbeaten team in regulation.
Jerome Iginla finally scored his first goal in a Boston uniform, and Tuukka Rask stopped 38 shots for the Bruins, who won their fourth consecutive game and first at home against the Sharks since Dec. 23, 2002.
San Jose, which entered the game leading the league in points (17) and goals (39), appeared to be on the verge of stretching its streak of not losing in regulation to 10 games.
Despite being outshot 39-17, the Bruins (7-2-0) put a stunning end to that.
Milan Lucic carried the puck into the right corner before sending a pass back to the blue line to Adam McQuaid, whose desperation flick toward the crease deflected off Krejci's stick and through the legs of Niemi, sending the crowd in delirium.
Patrick Marleau netted his team-high eighth goal of the season for San Jose, and Niemi stopped 15 shots.
Iginla snapped a scoreless tie with 1:12 remaining in the second period, corralling a wide shot by Dennis Seidenberg that caromed off the back boards and one-timing it through Niemi's legs.
The lead didn't last long, though.
San Jose (8-1-1) knotted it up 18 seconds into the third when Marleau casually flipped a rebound over a sprawling Rask.
Despite the rare matchup between two of the top teams in the league, the TD Garden stands were only three-quarters full, likely due to Game 2 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox taking place just three miles away.
The fans who didn't make it missed out on an early defensive battle.
San Jose outshot Boston 16-3 in the opening period. The Bruins again were unable to sustain any offensive attack in the second period, but they managed to bookend the period with stellar scoring chances.
Shawn Thornton's slapper from the top of the right circle just 2:55 into the period slammed off the far left post, and Patrice Bergeron's one-timer off a feed from Brad Marchand was snared by Niemi's glove with under three minutes left.
NOTES: Boston RW Loui Eriksson, who left Wednesday's win over Buffalo in the third period after being blindsided by Sabres D John Scott, was diagnosed with a concussion and will be out indefinitely, according to a statement issued by Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. Eriksson, who had played in 148 straight games, stayed in Buffalo on Wednesday night and traveled to Boston on Thursday with a member of the Bruins' medical staff. He has two goals and an assist in his first season in Boston. Meanwhile, Scott was suspended indefinitely by the league and given the opportunity to attend a disciplinary hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. ... Brothers Dougie (Boston) and Freddie Hamilton (San Jose) faced each other for the first time after Freddie was recalled earlier in the week and played his first NHL game on Monday. ... The Sharks were 4-0-1 in their previous five games against the Bruins. ... San Jose is 5-2-1 against Boston since the Bruins traded C Joe Thornton to the Sharks in 2005. Thornton has five points in eight games against his former team.
