Rich Peverley scored a pair of goals and Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin each had two assists as the Bruins evened their record at 1-1 with the win in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Final.
The Bruins will step out of conference next when Colorado comes to the Garden on Monday for a matinee clash at 1 p.m.
Third Period, 17:37, Bruins 4-1: Yet another penalty here as Seguin is called for tripping and Tampa goes back on the power play again.
Third Period, 15:32, Bruins 4-1: Nathan Horton takes exception to a hit from behind by Dominic Moore. Horton cross-checks and challenges Moore, who refuses to engage. Both go off for minor penalties, Moore for slashing, Horton for the cross-check.
Third Period, 13:39, Bruins 4-1: Long discussion after the whistle for an offsides between Thornton and Downie. Doubt Downie will do anything more than yap with a guy like Thornton, but that situation may bear watching in the final minutes of this encounter.
Third Period, 12:19, Bruins 4-1: The Bruins are now 0 for 5 on the power play in this one, one of the few negatives in what has been a strong overall performance for the club.
Third Period, 10:19, Bruins 4-1: The Bruins will get another chance on the power play as the Lightning are called for too many men on the ice. Boston is 0 for 4 on power play so far in this one.
Third Period, 8:43, Bruins 4-1: The Bruins add another, with Rich Peverley scoring from the top of the crease.
Peverley scores his second after Patrice Bergeron had the initial try from the left side. Bergeron and Brad Marchand pick up the assists.
Third Period, 8:00, Bruins 3-1: Shawn Thornton robbed by a toe save by Garon as the Bruins tough guy tries to jam it home at the right post. Hard-working shift by the fourth line to keep the pressure on Tampa.
Third Period, 6:53, Bruins 3-1: Milan Lucic with a big hit on Dominic Moore, which leads to a turnover and a scoring chance for Nathan Horton, but Garon makes the save to keep it a two-goal game.
Third Period, 3:07, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins add a huge insurance goal as David Krejci bangs home a rebound.
Milan Lucic had the initial drive down the left wing. Garon made that stop, but Krejci popped home the second chance from the slot.
Third Period, 1:53, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins kill off the penalty, with Thomas making a brilliant save on Teddy Purcell to preserve the one-goal lead.
Marchand had a shorthanded breakaway earlier, but could not convert.
Third Period, 0:00, Bruins 2-1: The final frame is under way here at the Garden, with the Bruins looking to close out a win over the Lightning, but they have just a one-goal lead and 1:53 left to kill on Johnny Boychuk's tripping penalty.
Also, there's been a scoring change on Boston's second goal. Daniel Paille is now credited with a tip in front. he gets the goal, Adam McQuaid and Tyler Seguin the assists.
End Second Period, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins got the better of an early offensive explosion in the second period, sandwiching a pair of goals around a single Tampa tally and will take a 2-1 lead into the third.
Boston will also have to kill the final 1:53 of Johnny Boychuk's tripping penalty at the start of the third, so this one is far from over.
Second Period, 19:52, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins will have a late penalty to kill here in the second and hopefully the start of the third as Johnny Boychuk is called for tripping with 7.4 seconds remaining.
Second Period, 16:04, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins fail again to score on the power play, and Thomas has to make a big stop on a shorthanded 2 on 1 late after Joe Corvo stepped on the puck and slipped, leading to a chance for the Lightning.
Second Period, 14:04, Bruins 2-1: And the parade to the penalty box continues with Tampa's Brett Connolly sent off for hooking. The Bruins will go on a 4-on-3 power play.
Second Period, 13:21, Bruins 2-1: It won't stay 5 on 5 for long, as Brad Marchand and Dominic Moore get tangled up for a brief wrestling match.
McQuaid and Pavel Kubina also get tangled up, but no real fights break out. Moore and Marchand each get two minutes for roughing and it's back to 4-on-4 play.
Second Period, 12:59, Bruins 2-1: All the penalties have now expired and the sides are back at full strength.
Second Period, 10:59, Bruins 2-1: That power play doesn't last long as Tyler Seguin gets called for holding and the sides will skate 4 on 4 before a short Tampa power play.
Second Period, 10:24, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins get the power play instead, as Eric Brewer is called for tripping. Boston looking for its first power-play goal on its third chance of the night.
Second Period, 9:49, Bruins 2-1: Milan Lucic with a little whack on the back of the leg of Victor Hedman, who goes down like he's shot, but isn't able to draw the call.
Second Period, 4:58, Bruins 2-1: After a scoreless first period, the goals are coming fast and furious in the second.
Adam McQuaid scores in his first game of the season, pinching in from the point to fire a shot through a screen in front. Tyler Seguin and Daniel Paille pick up the assists.
Second Period, 3:20, 1-1: The Lightning answer right back as Martin St. Louis beats former college teammate Thomas on a clean breakaway.
Vincent Lecavalier poked the puck away from Nathan Horton to Ryan Malone, who pushed it ahead to St. Louis for the break behind the Bruins defense.
Second Period, 2:04, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins finally break the ice as Rich Peverley bangs in a rebound at the right post.
Brad Marchand came out from behind the net and fired in the initial shot from the left circle. Marchand beat Garon, but the puck hit both posts and stayed out. Peverley took care of that though with a rebound at the right post.
Second Period, 0:00, 0-0: The middle frame is under way here at the Garden, with the Bruins and Lightning both still looking for the first goal of the night in a tight defensive matchup.
End First Period, 0-0: The opening period has come to a close with no scoring.
The Bruins had the better of the chances, including a bid in front by Pouliot in the final minute, but have yet to get anything past Garon. Boston has a 15-9 edge in shots.
First Period, 18:31, 0-0: The Bruins kill off that penalty as well, and as it expires Downie and Chara get involved in front of the Boston net. Downie begs for a call on the big guy, but the refs won't bite on that.
First Period, 16:31, 0-0: The Bruins are shorthanded again as Milan Lucic is sent off for slashing after he broke Pavel Kubina's stick with a swing after the whistle.
First Period, 15:40, 0-0: Lots of possession time in the Tampa zone for that power play, but once again the Bruins come up empty. Shots now 12-6 in favor of Boston.
First Period, 13:40, 0-0: The Bruins get their second power-play chance as Tyler Seguin draws a tripping call on Brett Connolly.
First Period, 12:28, 0-0: The Bruins are able to kill that penalty, with Thomas making a big stop on a Steven Stamkos one-timer from the left circle early in the power play.
First Period, 10:28, 0-0: The Lightning finally get their first shot nearly 10 minutes into play when Vincent Lecavalier fires a bid on Thomas. Tampa then nearly scores seconds later, but Thomas dives back across the crease to deny Ryan Malone at the left post.
The Bruins do pick up a penalty on the play though, and Tampa will have its first power play with Johnny Boychuk off for slashing.
First Period, 9:13, 0-0: It's a battle of the superpests as Brad Marchand and Steve Downie get tangled up in front of the Tampa net, sparking a scrum. Both go off for roughing and we'll have 4-on-4 play for the next two minutes.
First Period, 8:06, 0-0: More than eight minutes into play and still no shots for Tampa. The Bruins lead 6-0 in that category but the game remains scoreless.
First Period, 6:24, 0-0: The Bruins had a few shots and some decent movement on that power play, but can't cash in.
Things get a little chippy after it expired with Pouliot making a nifty move in the slot, then trying to stuff it home. That led to a shoving match, but no one on the Lightning wanted anything to do with Thornton, who got a chance to play the final seconds of the power play.
First Period, 4:21, 0-0: The Bruins will get the first power play of the game as former Boston University defenseman Matt Gilroy is called for holding. Rich Peverley had the game's first shot during the delayed call.
First Period, 3:52, 0-0: Bit of a slow start here as neither team has managed a shot on goal nearly four minutes into play. Both teams just kind of feeling each other right for now.
First Period, 0:00, 0-0: And we're ready to start this one, with the Bruins looking to get their first win of the young season.
Boston opens with the top line of David Krejci between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton, with Dennis Seidenberg and Joe Corvo on defense and Tim Thomas in goal.
Tampa counters with Ryan Malone, Vincent Lecavalier and Nate Thompson up front, Victor Hedman and Eric Brewer on the blue line and Mathieu Garon in goal.
7:05 p.m.: The Bruins are having their player introductions tonight. Couldn't squeeze that into the extended pre-game ceremonies with banner raising on Thursday.
Shawn Thornton and Tim Thomas among the players getting the biggest ovations from the Garden crowd.
7 p.m.: The Bruins have made it official, Jordan Caron and Matt Bartkowski are the scratches, Benoit Pouliot and Adam McQuaid are in the lineup.
Tampa scratches Blair Jones, Bruno Gervais and Mattias Ritola.
6:40 p.m.: The Bruins had everyone out on the ice for warm-ups, but forward Jordan Caron and defenseman Matt Bartkowski did not take part in the line rushes.
It appears Benoit Pouliot will make his Bruins debut on the third line with Chris Kelly and Tyler Seguin. Adam McQuaid looks over his illness and should be back in on defense in place of Bartkowski.
The full lines from warm-ups:
Lucic-Krejci-Horton
Marchand-Bergeron-Peverley
Pouliot-Kelly-Seguin
Paille-Campbell-Thornton
Defense pairs:
Chara-Boychuk
Seidenberg-Corvo
Ference-McQuaid
6:30 p.m.: The teams have taken the ice, with Tim Thomas and Mathieu Garon leading the clubs onto the ice.
Thomas will get the start in goal for the second straight game for the Bruins. Garon gets the call after Dwayne Roloson started Friday night in Carolina for the Lightning.
6 p.m.: The Bruins and Lightning will face off again in about an hour. The stakes will be just a little lower in this meeting compared to the last clash, which came in the Eastern Conference Final.
There still should be plenty of emotion and intensity though, as the Lightning try to get some small measure of revenge for Boston's victory in that series and the Bruins look to get in the win column for the first time this year after falling to the Flyers in their opener.
8 a.m. ET: The Bruins got their season off to a raucous start with a memorable pregame ceremony capped by the raising of last year's Stanley Cup championship banner to the Garden rafters on Saturday.
The game that followed wasn't quite so successful, as the Bruins fell to Philadelphia 2-1. It was a difficult night emotionally with everything that led into the game, but the Bruins weren't accepting any excuses for their performance, and they expect a much better effort when they try to even their record Saturday night against Tampa Bay.
"We can't be satisfied with the excuse or the situation," Bruins coach Claude Julien said after practice Friday. "And hopefully we can come out [Saturday] night and show the type of team that we really are."
The Bruins know the type of team they will be facing Saturday. They became very well acquainted with the Lightning as it took seven games for Boston to get past the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final last spring. Nathan Horton scored the only goal midway through the third period for a 1-0 win in Game 7.
This will be the Lightning's first return to the Garden since that game, but the Bruins know they will be a formidable foe once again as general manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Guy Boucher continue to build a strong club in Tampa.
"They're a team that's heading in the right direction," Julien said. "They've got a good GM who's very patient and has been through a lot of winning situations and knows what it takes. Their coach did a tremendous job last year and revitalized that team. They seemed to have a lot more energy. They play a certain way that's frustrated teams, but we found a way to get through and [Saturday] we hope to be able to do that."
The Lightning opened their season Friday in Carolina, beating the Hurricanes 5-1 as five different Tampa players scored goals and 12 different players collected points. Martin St. Louis led the way with a goal and an assist, while Steven Stamkos added two assists and Dwayne Roloson made 32 saves in goal.
Tim Thomas was solid in his season debut on Thursday, stopping 27 of 29 shots he faced against Philadelphia. But Julien plans to balance the goaltending workload more this season to keep the reigning Vezina winner fresh, so it's possible Tuukka Rask could get the start on Saturday.
"We need to utilize our goaltenders properly," Julien said. "Tuukka's had a great camp. He played two really good exhibition games. He needs to play and I think you'll see him in the lineup soon."
The puck drops at 7 p.m., so check back here for updates on all the action from the Garden.
