Bruins beat Hurricanes

Jan 29, 2013 (Boston Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Bruins have a hard enough time trying to beat the Carolina Hurricanes without handing them two easy goals off turnovers.

The B's made it mighty tough on themselves tonight, blowing a 3-1 second-period advantage, but they salvaged a 5-3 victory with David Krejci's goal late in the third period and Tyler Seguin's empty-netter in the final seconds.

Zdeno Chara scored his second goal of the season and assisted two others. Brad Marchand scored shorthanded, his third goal of the season, and Nathan Horton lit the lamp at 15:52 of the second period to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

But turnovers by Shawn Thornton and Chris Kelly led to goals 1:10 apart by Carolina's Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal late in the second.

The B's stayed poised throughout the third and got the winner after Horton was denied by Cam Ward on a golden scoring chance. A Hurricanes player tried to glove the puck out of the zone, but it went right to Dougie Hamilton, who sent a perfect pass to Krejci for a one-timer with 1:50 left.

Anton Khudobin made his first start of the season in goal and played well, stopping 29-of-32 shots.

The Bruins had it in their minds all night that they lost all four games to Carolina last season, and they used it as extra motivation.

"Basically, everybody (was) around for that thing that happened last year," coach Claude Julien said before the game. "Certain teams will do that to others. If I recall, we did it to New Jersey. Certain teams give certain teams a hard time, and (for us), Carolina has been one of them.

"We know we're a team that teams like to get up for. That's the reputation we've built up over a number of years. It's a good thing. It keeps us on our toes. These guys here play us extremely well. They always have. They're very aggressive on the forecheck and really aggressive on the attack. That has given us trouble." The night started well for the Bruins, who put two of their first five shots behind Ward. The B's were playing shorthanded at 3:16 of the first when Chara, wide-open at left point, slid the puck cross-ice to Marchand low in the right circle. The pesky winger, dropping to one knee as he shot, sent a quick one-touch forehander behind Ward before the goalie could slide across.

At 6:15, the B's were on a power play, with Milan Lucic doing a nice job in front screening Ward. Chara simply sent a little flick shot from the blue line, and the puck flew past Lucic and inside the left post.

Predictably, the home team needed a boost, and defenseman Tim Gleason dropped the gloves with Lucic for a fairly even bout at 11:06. At 14:50, the 'Canes got on the board when Eric Staal fed a pass from the right circle toward the slot. Blueliner Jamie McBain, who'd moved up to join the rush, got just enough of his stick on the puck to direct it past Khudobin.

Khudobin was excellent in the period, stopping 10-of-11 shots, including several dangerous chances.

Horton had the first goal of Period 2, giving the B's a 3-1 lead. It was a highlight-film sort of goal, as Horton wheeled up ice, jumped between Gleason and Jordan Staal high in the right side of the offensive zone, then walked in alone. He finished with a nice snap high to the far side at 15:52.

It looked as though the B's were in good shape, but then they got sloppy.

At 17:35, Shawn Thornton lost a puck battle to Jordan Staal along the left boards in neutral ice. Staal got the puck to Skinner, who skated in alone on right wing and dumped a forehander past Khudobin.

Just 1:10 later, Chris Kelly's attempted clearing pass from his own end was intercepted by Alexander Semin. The ex-Caps star quickly fed in front, where an all-alone Eric Staal snapped one past Khudobin.

The B's had another great chance in the period, a shorthanded breakaway by Rich Peverley, who had his forehander kicked out by a pad-stacking Ward.

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