BOSTON — The Boston Bruins struck for three third-period goals to rally to a 5-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
The win gave the Bruins (4-4-0) back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
Just-recalled rookie right winger Seth Griffith tied the game with his first NHL goal (and point) 4:50 into the third before center Gregory Campbell scored his first of the season at 10:42. Center David Krejci (one assist) scored a short-handed empty-net goal with 24.5 seconds left.
The comeback came after the Sharks (4-2-1 and losers of two straight) scored two goals in 37 seconds late in the second period to go ahead for the first time in the game.
The Bruins killed a late double minor on center Patrice Bergeron to escape with the win — playing two men down when San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi was pulled with 1:07 left.
Defenseman Torey Krug had a goal (his second of the year) and two assists and left winger Milan Lucic, still looking for his first goal of the season, assisted on the first three Boston goals.
Right winger Brad Marchand (first goal of the season) and Krug scored on Boston’s first two power plays of the game — the Bruins just 3-for-22 with the advantage coming in.
Center Logan Couture scored his second and third goals of the season, both on assists from left winger Patrick Marleau, and Couture and center Joe Thornton (the former captain of both teams) scored the two goals in 15 seconds, beating goalie Tuukka Rask.
Rask, the defending Vezina Trophy winner, made 31 saves in evening his record at 3-3, while Niemi made 28 saves and suffered his first loss of the season after three wins.
Marchand scored his first goal in 20 games — he went through all 12 playoff games last season and then the first seven of this season without a goal.
After Krug made it 2-1, the Sharks struck. Couture’s second goal came after a forecheck left the puck on Marleau’s stick and he was backing in toward the net, drawing both defensemen to him before he sent it back to Couture.
That tied it and center Joe Pavelski then sent one to the front of the net that was tipped in by Thornton. Thornton recorded his seventh point in seven games on the season.
Griffith spent a game down in Providence, was recalled and placed on the top line with Krejci and Lucic.
NOTES: Sharks LW James Sheppard, who had been rehabbing offseason knee surgery, made his season debut. … Bruins D Kevan Miller is out indefinitely with a dislocated right shoulder suffered in a fight Saturday in Buffalo. With Miller missing, D Matt Bartkowski dressed for his second game of the season. … Finishing up a five-game road trip, the Sharks head home and face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, while the Bruins are home for the New York Islanders the same night. That means a return by recently traded D Johnny Boychuk, recently sent to the Islanders. … The Sharks announced F Raffi Torres, who has yet to play this season, will not have a second surgery on his injured knee because of an infection and will try to rehab the injury.
Rangers 4, Devils 3 (OT)
Defenseman Kevin Klein scored 2:42 into overtime as visiting New York overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to skate to its third straight victory.
In overtime, Chris Kreider entered the offensive zone and promptly cut across the slot before his drop pass found Klein. The defenseman glided in and wristed a shot past Cory Schneider (21 saves) and just inside the left post to end the contest.
Rick Nash scored his league-leading eighth goal and Kreider and Chris Mueller each had a power-play tally and an assist for the Rangers. Captain Ryan McDonagh set up a pair of goals for his first points of the season and Henrik Lundqvist finished with 28 saves.
Jaromir Jagr scored his 706th career goal in the first period before setting up Adam Henrique’s power-play tally in the second for the Devils, who have dropped three straight after opening the season with three victories. Defenseman Jon Merrill also tallied with the man advantage and Damien Brunner notched two assists in the setback.
Playing in his 200th career game, Henrique one-timed a shot from near the left faceoff dot to give New Jersey a 2-1 lead with 5:05 left in the second before Merrill’s wrist shot from the right circle doubled the advantage just 36 seconds into the third. Mueller trimmed the deficit 8 1/2 minutes later after one-timing a circle-to-circle pass from Derick Brassard before Nash backhanded a rebound past Schneider to forge a 3-3 tie with 5 1/2 minutes to play in the third.