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Bergeron's overtime goal lifts Bruins over Maple Leafs

Nov 17, 2006 - 2:50 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- Maybe there is still hope for Patrice Bergeron and the Boston Bruins.

Bergeron scored 34 seconds into overtime to lift the Bruins to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs for their third straight win.

The center netted the game-winner when he banged in a rebound of P.J. Axelsson's shot past Toronto goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin.

It was the second straight game Bergeron came up big for the Bruins, who have won three straight for the first time since January 23-26. The 21-year-old netted the only tally of the shootout in Boston's 3-2 triumph over Washington on Wednesday.

"As a team, it was a great effort," Bergeron said. "For me, it was awesome to get that rebound in overtime, especially after missing those chances in the third. Brad (Boyes) just got the shot on goal and I was there for the rebound. Marco (Sturm) and Brad did the hard work. I was just there for the rebound."

"I made the original save (on Boyes) and I thought I gave up a nice rebound," Aubin said. "But Sturm was there to get his stick on it, and it went out to Bergeron, and he was right there and put it past me."

Tim Thomas finished with 24 saves for the Bruins, who have won five of their last eight games since starting the season with six losses in their first eight contests.

"He played a great game for us, making great saves at crucial times of the game," Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara said of Thomas, who has won his last three starts. "It's a big part of our winning right now."

Aubin recorded 34 stops for the Maple Leafs, who had a season-high four-game unbeaten streak snapped.

"We're not going to win every game," said Toronto coach Paul Maurice, whose club was outshot, 36-25. "We played well. We didn't skate the way I hoped we would or the way we skated this week. I just don't think we skated well, and I think it slowed our game down.

"When you're not skating, you're always looking for tape-to-tape passes, and we just didn't bring enough speed to mount an attack and play the game we've been playing."

Trailing 1-0 late in the third period, Toronto tied the game on the power play at 13:18.

Just two seconds after Boston's Marc Savard was penalized for holding, Kyle Wellwood won a faceoff back to defenseman Bryan McCabe, who blasted a shot from the high slot between Thomas' pads to tie the game, 1-1.

The Bruins initially took a 1-0 lead on the power play at 14:09 of the first period when rookie Phil Kessel banged a rebound past Aubin during a scramble in front of the net.

It was the second goal in as many games for the 19-year-old left wing, who scored in Boston's victory on Wednesday. Kessel, the fifth overall selection the 2006 draft, has five goals and three assists in 16 games this season.

Toronto returns to home to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

"I think the guys are pretty proud of that point," Maurice said. "We're disappointed in the loss, but I think we know now how we have to come out Saturday night."

The Bruins go for their fourth consecutive triumph when they host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

"There's a sense of the guys becoming a team," Boston coach Dave Lewis said. "Suddenly, I've noticed some things in the past week where, you don't want to get too excited, but it starting to come together. They enjoy being around each other and they're getting to know each other and the coaching staff better, and the coaches are getting to know them."