Bruins stage a late comeback

BOSTON —  Boston’s Blake Wheeler and Marc Savard scored in the shootout after the Bruins rallied for three goals in the final 8:01 of regulation to beat the New York Islanders, 4-3, on Saturday night.

Jon Sim, Radek Martinek and John Tavares scored second-period goals for the Islanders, who were in position for the franchise’s first shutout in Boston.

Boston, playing its longest homestand to open a season, improved to 2-3-0.

The Islanders fell to 0-0-3. They lost their opener in a shootout and their second in overtime.

New York has lost its last seven games against the Bruins -- all four last season and two the one prior -- with its last victory coming Nov. 24, 2007.

After Savard beat Dwayne Roloson with a backhander under the crossbar to make it 2-1 in the shootout, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask made a left pad save on Kyle Okposo to end it.

Savard, Byron Bitz and Matt Hunwick scored the late third-period goals to send it to overtime, where both teams had good chances but failed to convert.

Savard scored Boston’s first goal with 8:01 to play.

Bitz then scored on backhander through a screen from the slot, making it 3-2 with 4:25 to play.

Hunwick completed the comeback with a wrister that sneaked through a crowd from the left point and behind Roloson with 2:34 to play.