BOSTON — After getting dazed early by some hard hits, Mikhail Grabovski had plenty of strength left to stun the Boston Bruins at the end.
Grabovski scored the tie-breaking goal with 1:01 remaining and the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for a 4-3 win that extended the Bruins’ losing streak to three games.
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Grabovski and former Bruin Phil Kessel each finished with two goals for Toronto, which scored twice in the final 6:33 against the struggling Bruins.
“(Grabovski) was getting hit by everybody on their team and he ended up scoring a great goal – his retribution was to score,” Toronto Coach Ron Wilson said.
It also was a night of retribution for Kessel, booed every time he touched the puck by Boston fans still angered over his holdout that forced a trade to the Maple Leafs in 2009. Kessel hadn’t scored against his former team in 10 previous meetings.
He batted a high rebound past Tim Thomas to tie the game 1-all late in the first period, then tied it again with 6:33 left with a forehand that handcuffed Thomas.
Thomas was frustrated by that goal, then furious after Grabovski’s second of the night.
“I was trying to take him and the guy cutting to the back door instead of just taking the shot,” Thomas said. “So I left an opening and he took it.”
The Bruins took a 3-2 lead on Patrice Bergeron’s 20th goal of the season with 10:52 to play, but failed to hang on and lost for the fourth time in five games.
“Unacceptable,” Coach Claude Julien said. “I think it’s one of those situations where if you have any sense of pride, you’re embarrassed about tonight.”
Joffrey Lupol had two assists, his first points with Toronto, and James Reimer finished with 32 saves.
Thomas stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who have allowed 20 goals in their last four games. Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille also scored for the Bruins.
Boston continued to struggle in its final home appearance before a six-game trip. The Bruins were sloppy through the first two periods, then again in the final 10 minutes as Toronto came from behind.
Kessel jumped on a turnover by Zdeno Chara at the blue line, got around Andrew Ference and faked out Thomas with a forehand shot to tie the game with 6:33 remaining.
The game appeared headed for overtime until Grabovski, who was dazed by Chara on a headfirst hit into the boards in the first period, took a pass from Clarke MacArthur and beat Thomas.
“I like play like that,” Grabovski said. “I like when defensemen play hard against me. It gives me motivation and I play harder and faster.”
Bergeron broke a 2-all tie with an even-strength goal with 10:52 left. Adam McQuaid fired a shot from the point and Bergeron was in place for the rebound despite getting smothered by defenseman Dion Phaneuf as he poked the puck into the net for his first goal in five games.
Grabovski put Toronto up 2-1 early in the second on a lucky bounce off Boston defenseman Steven Kampfer’s leg for a wide-open backhander.
NOTES: The Bruins announced after the game they had acquired center Chris Kelly in a trade with Ottawa for Boston’s second-round pick in this year’s draft.
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