Senators' late rally overpowers Bruins

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators took a roller-coaster ride on their way to a big comeback victory.

Daniel Alfredsson and Shawn McEachern scored power-play goals three minutes apart in the third period to lead the Senators to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

"It was a real up-and-down game," McEachern said. "I thought we came out in the third and really took it to them."

Alfredsson scored his team-leading 23rd goal 6:05 into the third period to tie it 3-3 after Ottawa blew an early 2-0 lead.

McEachern scored his eighth goal at 9:05 as the Senators won for the first time when trailing after two periods.

"We battled hard to come back tonight," Alfredsson said. "It was a big win for us."

The victory gave the Senators their sixth point in their past four games (2-0-1-1) and drew them within two points of Boston for the Northeast Division lead.

"They're one of the best teams in the (Eastern Conference)," McEachern said. "The way we played in the first, I thought we were going to take it to them. Then, in the second they came out and they kind of embarrassed us. I thought in the third period we showed a lot of character by coming back, especially against a team of that caliber."

The Bruins, who lost 8-4 in New York against the Rangers on Wednesday, have one victory in their past seven games (1-3-0-3).

"Every game means so much right now," Bruins center Joe Thornton said. "When April comes, I think you look back at these kind of games."

Todd White and Chris Phillips scored for the Senators during a tame first period for the two teams, who combined for 168 penalty minutes a week earlier in the Bruins' 5-2 victory at FleetCenter.

Sergei Samsonov had a hand in each goal as Boston scored three times within 5:46 early in the second period to take a 3-2 lead.

Samsonov scored 1:35 into the period to draw Boston to within one before tying it 2-2 with his second goal of the game -- his 17th of the season -- at 4:00.

Samsonov assisted on Brian Rolston's go-ahead goal on the Bruins' first power-play opportunity at 7:01.

After only two minor penalties were called in the first period -- both against Boston -- Ottawa's Chris Neil renewed hostilities with Bruins forward Bill Guerin on the faceoff following Rolston's goal.

Senators defenseman Zdeno Chara and Bruins enforcer Andrei Nazarov were given roughing minors at 11:33. Nazarov was given an instigator penalty when the two fought nine seconds after their penalties expired.

Alfredsson drew the Senators even at 3-3 with 13:55 left in the third as he took Todd White's pass from the right corner and fired a shot into a wide-open net after White intercepted goalie John Grahame's clearing attempt.

"That was nice," Alfredsson said. "(White) made a good play, anticipating him playing the puck, and stole it off him. You don't miss many of those."

McEachern, who recently ended a 22-game goal drought, scored for the second time in his past four games with a shot inside the right post with 10:55 remaining.

Grahame stopped 31-of-35 shots one night after Byron Dafoe allowed a season-high eight goals.

NOTES: Grahame made his 10th start of the season. . . . Glen Murray and Jozef Stumpel each had two assists for the Bruins. . . . Senators coach Jacques Martin got his 300th career victory. . . . Ottawa signed free agent forward Jody Hull to a one-year contract earlier in the day. A member of the Senators' inaugural team in 1992-93, Hull will report to AHL Grand Rapids for a three-game conditioning stint before joining the team following the All-Star break.