Quote:Seven players ejected in third period

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BOSTON (AP) -- In a tough Eastern Conference battle between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, it was a fight to the finish.


Five different players scored for Boston and Bill Guerin added two assists to lift the Bruins to a 5-2 victory over the Senators on Thursday night.



"Boston has had quite a turnaround this year," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "The schedule before the Olympics will be a big factor in determining if anybody can separate themselves from the pack."


The Bruins avoided their second three-game losing streak of the season and beat Ottawa for only the third time in the last thirteen games.


"The Bruins work hard, but it was a little bit of luck with tips and things like that," Senators goalie Patrick Lalime said. "We got back in the game, but the third goal hurt us pretty bad."


After Hal Gill gave the Bruins a 5-1 lead in the third period, Ottawa's frustration boiled over as simultaneous fights broke out in the Senators' end including one between goaltenders Lalime and Byron Dafoe. Seven players were ejected and there were 150 penalty minutes in the third.


"I was glad that I was kicked out because I was pretty tired and don't know if I could've played the last six minutes," Dafoe said. "We play them again in a week and there might be some bad blood."


Nick Boynton and Glen Murray gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead when they scored in a 2:15 span in the first. Murray deflected a Gill shot from the point that beat Lalime.


Murray has five goals and four assists in the last eight games and began the night as one of eight players in the NHL with at least 20 goals and assists.


Mike Fisher drew Ottawa within 2-1 with a short-handed goal, when he skated past Benoit Hogue and flipped the puck past Dafoe with 1:40 remaining in the second.


Brian Rolston snapped a six-game scoring drought when he converted a pass from Rob Zamuner and knocked the puck past Lalime with seven seconds remaining in the second to make it 3-1.


"There was 11 seconds left and we play right down to the end of the period," Rolston said. "They may have given up on it a bit and Zamuner's pass made it easy for me from there."


Hogue had an assist in his first game with Boston and has 20 points in 22 games against Ottawa.


Lalime is now 6-2-1 lifetime against the Bruins and is four wins shy of having the most victories in Senators history.


Gill has one goal and four assists in the last three games.


Josef Stumpel had the other Bruins goal.


Marian Hossa also scored for Ottawa.

onehung Wrote:Best hockey night in some time. Ya gotta love goalie battles