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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BOSTON (AP) -- Sergei Samsonov's holdout ended just in time.
Alexei Yashin still has a way to go after his season-long layoff.
Samsonov, who missed most of training camp before signing Sept.
26, scored with 3:20 left in the third period to give the Boston
Bruins a 4-4 tie with the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
|  | | Boston's Byron Dafoe can't stop Chris Phillips' shot in the first period. |
Yashin, Ottawa's career scoring leader, had two good chances in
the final minute of overtime but Boston's defense stopped him both
times.
"Obviously, he wasn't at his best, but it was his first game in
a year," Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson said. "Yashin makes it hard
for opponents to key in on one line this year and we will need him
to produce."
Samsonov did that for Boston, which already is ahead of last
season's pace when it opened 0-5-4. He fanned on a shot about 10
feet to the left of Patrick Lalime. But he connected on his second
swing from the same spot, sending the puck over the goalie's left
shoulder.
That capped Boston's comeback from a 2-0, first-period deficit.
"Being down two goals might have been a different story last
year," Boston goalie Byron Dafoe said. "This will be a big
confidence boost for us."
It was for Brian Rolston, who had a goal and two assists.
Dissatisfied with his playing time with talent-rich Colorado, he
was traded last March 6 for defenseman Ray Bourque, who was on
Boston's opening roster every year since 1979.
"Ray is a Boston icon," Rolston said. "I want to bring my own
thing here. I really don't think about being traded for him."
"It was a little bit nostalgic tonight," Alfredsson said. "It
struck me that this was the first time in 21 years without Bourque
out there for Boston."
Dafoe, who missed the first 13 games last season when he held
out, was outstanding when he made 16 saves in the second period as
the Bruins tied it 2-2.
"I thought Lalime played well and gave us a chance to win,"
Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. "He couldn't do anything about
the goals that were scored."
Boston led 3-2 on Jason Allison's goal with 13:05 left in the
third period before Yashin assisted on Marian Hossa's power-play
goal that tied it with 8:34 to go.
The Senators took a 4-3 lead with 5:23 remaining when Magnus
Arvedson skated by rookie defenseman Jarno Kultanen, who had three
assists, and beat Dafoe from close range.
Then Samsonov tied it for the Bruins, who missed the playoffs
last season.
"I just like the attitude" around the team, Dafoe said. "The
guys who were here last year, you see the dark cloud has lifted.
It's a fresh start."
The Senators led 2-0 after one period on goals by Chris Phillips
and Radek Bonk. The Bruins tied it with power-play goals by Rolston
and Andrei Kovalenko in the second period.
Game notes
Paul Coffey, the NHL career leader in scoring by a
defenseman, didn't return after hurting his shoulder in the second
period. There was no word on the extent of the injury. Starting his
21st season, he made his debut with the Bruins, his ninth team. He
won three Stanley Cups with Edmonton and one with Pittsburgh. ...
Ottawa is 2-0-4 in road season openers. Boston is 9-1-4 in its last
14 openers. ... Anson Carter, Boston's second leading scorer last
season, remained the team's only holdout. ... With officials
calling the game tighter than last season, Boston had 10 power-play
opportunities and Ottawa had six. Each team scored on two of them.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Ottawa Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Ottawa 4
Boston 4
Buffalo 4
Chicago 2
Philadelphia 6
Vancouver 3
Detroit 4
Calgary 3
Phoenix 4
St. Louis 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Radek Bonk fires the shot past Byron Dafoe.
avi: 716 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sergei Samsonov puts in the game-tying goal.
avi: 540 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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