BOSTON (Ticker) -- Sergei Samsonov scored with 14 seconds left in the third period and the Boston Bruins avoided another overtime loss with a 5-5 tie with the San Jose Sharks.
With several players crashing the net, Samsonov was credited with his fourth goal when his shot hit the left leg of San Jose's Mike Ricci and deflected past goaltender Vesa Toskala.
"I was trying to get rid of it as fast as I could and it hit one of their defenseman and bounced over the goal line," Samsonov said. "I was really just trying to go to the net. One of the guys on the boards just threw it to the net and it bounced right on my stick and I shot it on net. I think it hit somebody and it went in."
Despite allowing five goals, Toskala made 48 saves in just his third start of the season.
"We have to be happy with this one point," Toskala said. "I wasn't screened that many times, so I saw the, puck which makes it a little easier. I think that last goal bounced off a defenseman. It did not go straight in."
It was Samsonov's fourth goal of the season and came after Boston pulled goalie Felix Potvin for an extra attacker.
"Felix let in five, but I really can't think one he should've had," Bruins defenseman Sean O'Donnell said. "Whenever we made a mistake, they put it in."
At 0-1-2-1, the Bruins remained one of two winless home teams in the NHL. It's the first time since 1965 they have not posted a victory in their first four home games.
The Sharks, the NHL's other winless home team, moved to 0-7-3 all-time in Boston.
San Jose took a 5-4 lead with nine minutes remaining on a power-play goal as Jonathan Cheechoo deflected defenseman Brad Stuart's shot from the right faceoff circle.
"The bounces keep going our way," Cheechoo said. "We were outshot badly, but the bounces helped us get a point."
Cheechoo twisted his knee in the first period after a collision with Boston winger Rob Zamuner but was back for the second.
"Just a little tweak. It stung at the time," Cheechoo said. "I thought it was more serious than it was. Luckily, I was able to come back."
Cheechoo also assisted on Scott Thornton's second goal of the game that lifted the Sharks into a 4-4 tie with 2:18 to go in the second period. Thornton scored midway through the opening period to give San Jose a 2-0 lead.
"We picked up points in our last four games against some very tough opponents, all on the road," Thornton said. "When they scored with 13 seconds left, it is kind of heartbreaking. But this is our longest trip of the year and soon we will be going home."
Boston fought back and tied it on goals by defenseman Ian Moran and Mike Knuble. Moran's tally was his first in 131 games since November 27, 2001.
Wayne Primeau put the Sharks back in front, but Glen Murray and rookie Patrice Bergeron struck in a 62-second span to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead. Bergeron got his stick on a rebound and pushed it past an helpless Toskala.
"He is a guy with a great understanding of the game. He gets better and better every game he plays," Boston coach Mike Sullivan said of the NHL's youngest player. "For a guy as young as he is, he has an unbelievable amount of composure. He is a guy we're very excited about, and with good reason."
Boston-area native Niko Dimitrakos started the scoring, giving San Jose a 1-0 lead 2:48 into the first period on a deflection.
Making his first appearance at the FleetCenter since he was traded to the Sharks last January, defenseman Kyle McLaren had a hand in Thornton's first goal of the night.
"I was a little nervous, a little excited, but to be honest, I had a good night's sleep last night," McLaren said. "I'm glad the first one is over and I think the next one will be a little easier."
McLaren was on the ice when Samsonov scored the equalizer.
"Sammy and I raced to get the puck and we got there at the same time," he said. "But he is a good player and is going to tap some of those in."
