Joe McDonald, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Rapid Reaction: Bruins 4, Senators 2

BOSTON -- Because Bruins top-line center David Krejci was a game-time scratch due to an undisclosed injury, Matt Fraser was inserted into the lineup for the first time since Oct. 18.

As a result, Bruins coach Claude Julien was forced to tweak his line combinations. Fraser played the left side on the team's third line, along with center Carl Soderberg and right winger Loui Eriksson. Fraser, who has been a healthy scratch the past five games (eight overall this season), netted a pair of goals to help the Bruins to a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at TD Garden. Brad Marchand and Dennis Seidenberg contributed a goal apiece for the Bruins, while goaltender Tuukka Rask finished with 27 saves.

The Bruins gained a 1-0 lead late in the first period when Marchand scored his fourth goal of the season at 18:54. With the faceoff to the right of Ottawa goalie Robin Lehner, Patrice Bergeron won the drop cleanly back to Marchand, who was set up at the top of the circle. His wrist shot found its way through Lehner's five-hole. Boston's lead, however, didn't last. The Senators tied it at 1-1 at 19:32. Seidenberg went to play the puck along the boards in the offensive zone, but the linesman interfered with Seidenberg, which allowed the puck to scoot out of the zone as the Senators created a 2-on-1. Ottawa's Mark Stone controlled the puck and stuffed it shortside on Rask with only 27.6 seconds remaining in the period.

Fraser gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead at 11:14 of the second period. Bergeron was on the ice for a defensive zone faceoff, and once the Bruins controlled the play and entered the offensive zone, Bergeron went to the bench. Fraser jumped on the ice and quickly put himself in perfect position to pump in a rebound.

Fraser's second goal was the result of a heads-up pass by Soderberg. After Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson was caught pinching at Boston's blue line, Soderberg collected the puck and sent it ahead for Fraser, who gained control and beat Lehner to the top-right corner with a shot from the left faceoff circle to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead at 12:42 of the second period.

Boston added to its lead in the third period when Seidenberg blasted a one-timer past Lehner to give the Bruins a 4-1 advantage at 2:08. A loose puck ricocheted out to the left faceoff circle and gave Seidenberg plenty of time to step into one for his first goal of the season. Bergeron screened Lehner on the play.

Ottawa reduced its deficit when Mika Zibanejad scored at 15:43 of the third period, but that would be as close as the Senators would get. With the victory, the Bruins have won five of their past seven games.

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