Murray’s Overtime Goal Pushes Bruins Into First

Former King Glen Murray credits a little luck and Boston’s recent success for his game-winning goal.

Murray scored with 2:26 left in overtime as the Bruins won their fifth straight game Saturday night, 5-4, over the Lightning at Tampa, Fla.

The Bruins moved into first place in the Eastern Conference.

Murray, who had two goals and three assists in Boston’s 7-1 win at Florida Friday, also had two assists.

He scored his 15th goal from the right circle.

“I actually mishandled the game-winner, but when you’re hot, the puck has a way of finding the net,” Murray said.

This is Boston’s longest winning streak since a six-game run Oct. 23-Nov. 6, 1999.

“That’s the best team in the league,” Lightning Coach John Tortorella said. “You can’t make mental mistakes, but I’m happy with the way we battled them.”

Vancouver 4, New Jersey 2--Jan Hlavac scored twice as the Canucks won at Vancouver, Canada.

Mattias Ohlund and Brent Sopel also ended lengthy scoring slumps with goals for Vancouver.

Nashville 3, Detroit 2--Bubba Berenzweig scored at 2:20 of overtime and also had two assists at Nashville as the Predators rallied from a 2-0 deficit.

Nashville’s Vladimir Orszagh skated in from the left circle as Berenzweig started his break for the goal from the center of the blue line.

Orszagh hit Berenzweig with a backhand pass at the top of the crease and Berenzweig put the shot past goaltender Dominik Hasek.

Hasek was working on his fourth shutout of the season with less than five minutes left in regulation before the Predators mounted their comeback.

Philadelphia 5, Colorado 2--John LeClair and Simon Gagne each had a goal and an assist as the Flyers scored three straight goals in the second period at Denver.

Jeremy Roenick and Jiri Dopita added goals and Roman Cechmanek made 31 saves to help the Flyers beat the Avalanche for the first time in Denver.

Philadelphia was winless on the road against the franchise since 1993, when it was the Quebec Nordiques.

Florida 4, Toronto 2--Bret Hedican had two goals and two assists, and Pavel Bure added a goal and two assists to lead the Panthers at Sunrise, Fla.

Hedican’s career-best four-point game helped the Panthers end a three-game winless streak.

Bure had more than one assist for the third time in eight games.

Roberto Luongo finished with 30 saves.

The Maple Leafs lost their third straight. Toronto has won just once in its last six games.

New York Islanders 6, Montreal 5--Alexei Yashin’s second goal of the game at 1:10 of overtime lifted the Islanders at Uniondale, N.Y.

The win redeemed the Islanders, who blew a 5-1 second-period lead.

Yashin broke in with Shawn Bates, took Bates’ pass and lifted a shot over Jeff Hackett for New York’s third win in its last nine games.

Buffalo 2, Columbus 2--Stu Barnes scored with 6:02 remaining as the Sabres twice rallied from a deficit at Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus has lost its last four games and nine of its last 11.

Ottawa 5, Pittsburgh 2--Marian Hossa and Daniel Alfredsson each scored two goals as the Senators got a rare win in Pittsburgh.

The Senators had been 2-16-4 at Mellon Arena in their 10 seasons.

Calgary 4, Minnesota 3--Jarome Iginla scored twice, including the game-winner with 4:27 left in the third period at Calgary, Canada, as the Flames ended a five-game winless streak.