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Krejci's late score helps Bruins slip by Hurricanes

Jan 29, 2013 - 7:24 AM Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - David Krejci provided the game-winning goal with under two minutes remaining, as the Boston Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-3, on Monday at PNC Arena.

Zdeno Chara tallied a goal and two assists, while Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin each registered a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who have opened a season with points in each of their first five games, going 4-0-1, for the first time since 1990-91.

Anton Khudobin made his first start of the season and turned away 29 shots in the victory.

Eric Staal recorded a goal and an assist and Jamie McBain and Jeff Skinner each scored once for the Hurricanes, who were coming off back-to-back wins against Buffalo.

"We did some good things, but obviously not enough to try and salvage at least a point in this game," Staal said.

Cam Ward was charged for four goals on 37 shots in the setback.

After an evenly played opening 40 minutes found the teams locked at 3-3, Boston dominated the third period, outshooting Carolina 18-8. The Bruins were unable to break through until the closing minutes.

With just under two minutes left, Horton ripped a shot from below the right circle that found iron. The rebound bounced into the right circle, where Dougie Hamilton slid a cross-ice pass to Krejci waiting in the left circle.

Krejci then one-timed a blast past a sprawling Ward to make it 4-3 at the 18:10 mark.

Seguin added an empty-net, power-play tally with eight seconds left.

"We just kept pushing and it came right down to the end," Horton said. "Twenty minutes for a win and that's what happened."

Boston's special teams staked it to a 2-0 lead in the first period, with Chara having a hand in both goals.

The first came shorthanded at the 3:16 mark when Brad Marchand accepted a pass in the right circle from Chara at the left point and one-timed the puck past Ward for a 1-0 edge.

Chara then doubled the advantage while on the power play just under three minutes later when he wristed a shot from the point that sailed through a screen and past Ward for a 2-0 lead at the 6:15 mark.

Staal then helped the Hurricanes trim the margin in half at the 14:50 mark when he flipped a pass from outside the right circle toward the slot where a cutting McBain was able to get his stick on the puck and redirect it past Khudobin.

Boston restored its two-goal lead late in the second when Horton danced past a defender at the blue line before ripping a wrister high over the stacked pads of Ward at the 15:52 mark, but the Hurricanes answered with a pair of goals just 50 seconds apart to send the game into the final frame locked at 3-3.

Skinner registered the first goal with a backhand tally at the 17:55 mark before Alexander Semin came up with a steal deep in Boston's zone and slid a pass into the slot for Staal, who slipped a shot through the five-hole of Khudobin to knot the game at the 18:45 mark.

Game Notes

Boston killed all six Carolina power plays and is now 23-for-23 on the penalty kill this season ... Boston went 2-for-4 on the power play ... Semin finished with two assists ... Carolina had won four straight against the Bruins.