The Bruins have won their last five straight.
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Center Patrice Bergeron scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Boston Bruins.
BOSTON – In a battle between Northeast Division elites, it had to be settled in overtime.
And what a way it ended.
Center Patrice Bergeron tipped in a shot from defenseman Dennis Seidenberg with 1:21 left in the extra session as the Boston Bruins won their fifth straight game 2-1 over the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden Thursday night.
The puck slowly trickled past netminder Robin Lehner, who was outstanding in his season debut, making 44 saves.
The play had to be reviewed to make sure the puck crossed the goal line, but the referees announced it was a goal to the delight of the sellout crowd of 17,565.
"Right off the faceoff I was trying to get open for (Dennis Seidenberg) for a tip, and he made a great shot actually," Bergeron said. "I think that’s what he wanted to do is to find my stick, and he did."
Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask was masterful, making several big stops and finishing with 30 saves.
The red-hot Rask is 5-0-0 in his last five starts and is tied with Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price for the most wins (11) in the NHL.
"He's feeling good so there was no hesitation to put him in (Thursday), and he did a great job again," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Some point blank shots there in the slot area – on a lot of occasions you probably would have seen a goal, but he stood tall for the challenge."
The Bruins and Senators entered the game deadlocked with 26 points apiece and riding four- and five-game winning streaks, respectively.
After a scoreless first period, the Bruins struck first off the stick of right winger Nathan Horton at 5:48 in the second when the puck drifted past a fooled Lehner.
Forward Milan Lucic executed strong board work to keep the puck alive in the zone before passing it to defenseman Dougie Hamilton who set up the score.
But the lead didn't last.
Boston's penalty-kill streak ended with a bench minor and a second-chance opportunity for Ottawa.
The Bruins were called for too many men on the ice, which gave the Senators their fourth power-play opportunity and they capitalized.
Center Jim O'Brien tied it in a scramble in front of the net at 14:38 after Rask made an incredible stop on a breakaway by winger Kaspars Daugavins.
Rask made the initial save with his right leg, but wasn't able to cover up the loose puck.
The Bruins entered with 24 straight kills and were 3 for 3 until O'Brien's goal. They finished killing off 4 of 5.
The last time Boston allowed a power-play goal was to Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban on Feb. 6.
NOTES: Bruins left winger Brad Marchand's four-game point-streak was snapped while linemate Tyler Seguin's five-game point-streak ended ... It was the first of 32 games in 59 days for Boston ... The Bruins haven't fought in their last seven games.
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