Bruins explode in third to top Penguins
Mark Recchi had a goal and assisted on two of Boston's five third-period goals in the Bruins' 7-4 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.
Boston entered the third period facing a 4-2 deficit, but Nathan Horton and Zdeno Chara scored 15 seconds apart over the first 4:04 to tie it, Shawn Thornton was credited with the winner with 7:20 to play, Blake Wheeler scored with 3:47 left and Milan Lucic added an empty-netter.
Tim Thomas made a season-high 42 saves to improve to 8-0-0 for the Bruins, who improved to 6-1 on the road this season, They had lost their previous two after winning seven of eight.
Fifteen of Boston's 18 skaters had at least a point.
Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, who have lost six of their past eight and fell to 2-5 at the new Consol Energy Center.
Pittsburgh took a two-goal lead after goals by Chris Kunitz and Crosby over the final 4:16 of the second period. Crosby moved into a tie for second on the NHL goal list when he was credited with his 10th on what was intended to be a pass across the slot but deflected off of Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart and past Thomas during the final minute of the second.
But Horton scored his seventh of the season 3:49 into the period on a turnaround wrist shot from low in the left-wing circle. Chara's seventh was a one-timed shot from the slot while on a 3-on-2.
Thornton had his second in three games when he collected a puck at his own blue line, carried it down the right wing and beat Pittsburgh goalie Brent Johnson high to the glove side.
Aaron Asham and Brooks Orpik also scored for the Penguins during the first period, and Brad Marchand had his second of the season during the first period for the Bruins.
Asham's goal 1:05 into the game was his first as a Penguin, and Orpik's was his first of the season and ninth of his 459-game career.
The 42-year-old Recchi, who began his career in Pittsburgh 22 years ago, scored his the first goal of the season and 564th of his career.
There were two fights in the first 7 minutes of the game and a third midway through the second period. None, however, involved Matt Cooke. Last March 7, the Penguins' agitator knocked Bruins gifted center Marc Savard out of the game - and the remainder of his regular season -with a blind-side hit to the head.
Although Savard returned during the playoffs, he has not played yet this season due to post-concussion symptoms. The Bruins vowed a measure of revenge, but other than Thornton fighting Cooke 2 minutes into the only meeting between the two teams since then (11 days after the hit), there has been no visible on-ice retribution.
