Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson (50) reacts as Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL game in Toronto on Tuesday. (PHOTO / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

 

TORONTO (AP) -- Nikolai Kulemin scored 4:11 into overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Kulemin made the most of a broken 2-on-1 rush with Mikhail Grabovski, beating prone Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.

Grabovski was playing for the first time after missing 23 games because of a broken wrist.

The Leafs forced overtime after Luca Caputi scored the tying goal by swatting home a rebound 7:13 into the third. Wayne Primeau and Carl Gunnarsson also scored for Toronto. Jonas Gustavsson stopped 26 shots.

Caputi played his first game in his hometown of Toronto since being acquired at last week's trade deadline for Alexei Ponikarovsky.

Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm each scored a goal and added two assists for Boston. Patrice Bergeron had the Bruins' other goal.

Luke Schenn earned a pair of assists for the Leafs. He made a nice play to keep the puck in the offensive zone just before Caputi tied the game.

Thomas made 26 saves.

The Bruins played their first game since losing top center Marc Savard (concussion), who was injured Sunday when he was struck in the head by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke. Boston was also without captain Zdeno Chara, who was sidelined by a lower-body injury.

The Bruins took their third lead of the game 3:07 into the third period when Bergeron banged home a loose puck during a goalmouth scramble. Caputi brought the Leafs back for the third time before Kulemin won it.

Former Bruins forward Phil Kessel had two terrific chances to score in the last 10 minutes of regulation, but was thwarted by Thomas both times. While he did get an assist for his first point in five games against his old team, Kessel continues to struggle against the Bruins.

Boston opened the scoring when Recchi smacked a rebound past Gustavsson 2:47 in after Strum caused havoc in front of the Toronto net. The Bruins have scored first in 11 of 12 games.

The Maple Leafs failed to tie it during a 50-second, two-man advantage in the first period. Toronto did get even on Primeau's second-period goal.

Schenn hit Primeau in full flight through the neutral zone, and the big forward stuck a puck through Thomas' pads.

Boston used a two-man advantage to regain the lead. Recchi sent a quick pass to the side of the net, where Sturm fired the puck past Gustavsson.

Toronto tied it 2-2 when Gunnarsson's point shot appeared to be deflected on its way to the net. The puck eluded Thomas with 1:22 left in the second period.

NOTES: Boston D Jeff Penner made his NHL debut. ... Thomas, last season's Vezina Trophy winner, made his fourth consecutive start for the first time since mid-December. ... The Bruins played their second of a seven-game road trip, their longest stretch away from home since the 2003-04 season.

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