Stumpel's late score lifts Bruins past Senators

BOSTON -- John Grahame didn't show any signs of being rusty against the Ottawa Senators.

Grahame made 34 saves in his first start in two weeks and Jozef Stumpel scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period to lift the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.

"Grahame made some big saves to keep us in the game," Bruins coach Robbie Ftorek said. "It's tough coming off four days and jumping in, but we played real well."

Grahame, who has won his last three starts, entered the night with a career 5.22 goals-against average against Ottawa. Grahame, the backup to Byron Dafoe, won his last start 4-2 at Pittsburgh on Dec. 12.

Stumpel has figured in five of the last eight game-winners for Boston, including three goals. He scored at 10:28 of the final period, when he converted a pass from Scott Pellerin and flicked the puck through a screen and beat Jani Hurme. The win was the third straight for the Bruins.

The Senators erased a 2-0 third-period deficit when Andre Roy and Todd White scored in a span of 1:35. White scored the tying goal when he came around the net and jammed the puck past Grahame 3:42 into the third.

"We came back, but it was a little too late," Senators coach Jacques Martin said. "They made a nice play on the winning goal and Grahame played well, especially in the third period."

The loss was just the third of the season for Hurme. Ottawa came in with an 8-1-2 record in its last 11 against the Bruins.

"Our goal this season was to win the division, and we can't do that if we lose games like tonight," team captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "It is a good rivalry because we are in the same division, and that's why the games are so close."

Rob Zamuner gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 12:34 of the first, when he took a cross-ice pass from Sean O'Donnell and wristed a shot over the shoulder of Hurme.

Zamuner, who played the previous two seasons in Ottawa, has four goals in the last three games.

"I was out for a little while and I didn't have my timing," Zamuner said. "Playing with (Brian) Rolston, who is on fire, and Marty (Lapointe) has really helped in the last four games."

The Bruins scored again, midway through the second when Rolston knocked down a bouncing puck and poked it past Hurme.

Rolston leads the Bruins with 19 goals and has eight points in the last five games.

The Senators have seven goals in their last four games but started the night leading the Northeast Division with 111 goals and the NHL with 3.17 goals per game.

Notes: The Bruins have not allowed a power-play goal in 32-of-33 chances and lead the NHL in penalty killing. ... Ottawa is allowing Zdeno Chara and Marian Hossa to play for Slovakia in a preliminary Olympics qualifying game on Feb. 10. ... Senators defenseman Karel Rachunek returned after missing seven games with a shoulder injury. ... Boston's Kyle McLaren missed the game with a sprained wrist and could be out for an extended period, while P.J. Axelsson returned for the Bruins. ... Ottawa plays 17 games in the next 32 days. ... Alexei Yashin returns to Ottawa on Thursday for the first time since being traded to the New York Islanders in the offseason.