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Bruins win again, top Flyers in shootout

Mar 31, 2014 - 2:44 AM Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Reilly Smith scored the game-winner in the fifth round of the shootout as the Boston Bruins secured their franchise- record ninth straight road win with a 4-3 decision over the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.

Patrice Bergeron scored for the seventh straight game midway through the second period to give Boston a 3-2 lead, but the Flyers' Vincent Lecavalier swatted home a bouncing puck with 24.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

After an entertaining extra session failed to produce a winner, Lecavalier came up empty to open the shootout before Bergeron and Claude Giroux exchanged markers.

The next six shooters were all turned aside before Smith skated in and used a series of dekes to fool Steve Mason before stuffing the puck into the back of the net for the victory.

Zdeno Chara and former Flyer Andrej Meszaros supplied Boston's other goals, while Tuukka Rask recorded a career-high 49 saves for the Bruins, who have taken at least one point in each of their last 16 road games (13-0-3), also a franchise record.

Boston, which leads the NHL with 110 points, also extended its point streak to 16 games, improving to 15-0-1 since their last regulation loss on Mar. 1 against Washington.

Lecavalier also lit the lamp in the first period for his 400th career goal, while Kimmo Timonen notched the other goal for Philadelphia, which sits two points behind the New York Rangers for second in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers beat Edmonton later Sunday.

Mason made 27 saves in defeat.

"I thought we carried the play for the majority of the game," Mason said. "It's unfortunate not to get the extra point, but I thought we played a really good game."

Lecavalier's milestone marker opened the scoring just 5:25 into the game, but Meszaros, who was acquired by the Bruins from Philly at the trade deadline, netted just his second goal with Boston at 10:43 to tie the tilt.

"It was special because you get traded and not even a month later you're playing your old teammates so it's still fresh," Meszaros said of scoring against his former squad. "I had fun out there. The goal is nice, but two points is way better."

Philadelphia had the final say in the frame however, as Jakub Voracek charged down the right side on a counterattack and made his way below the right circle before backhanding a cross-ice feed to the back door for a cutting Timonen, who one-timed the puck past Rask with 41.7 seconds left in the period.

Chara brought Boston even 5:44 into the second when he backhanded one home from the low left side with the Bruins on the power play.

Just over five minutes later, Bergeron rifled a shot from the right circle that Mason fought off, but the Boston center recovered his own rebound behind the net before working into the left circle, where he slipped a low shot under the pads of Mason to make it 3-2 at 11:05.

Philadelphia had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:45 early in the third, but the Flyers failed to muster much of a threat on the two-man advantage.

With time winding down in regulation, Mason vacated the net and a scramble in the Boston zone saw Timonen make a nice play to keep the puck in Boston's end near the high point.

The disc then trickled to the low left side, where Voracek retrieved it before sending the puck to the low right circle for Lecavalier, who pounded the disc home to tie the tilt with under 30 seconds left in regulation.

Game Notes

Bergeron has eight goals during his seven-game streak, which is the longest goal streak by a Bruin since the 1985-86 season ... Boston's nine-game road win streak bested the mark set by the team in 1971-72 and equaled in 1992-93 ... Boston's last regulation road loss was a 4-2 setback in Los Angeles on Jan. 9 ... Voracek recorded two assists ... Rask recorded his 100th NHL win.