Frenetic Finish

BOSTON - The Winter Classic was just what the NHL wanted: a well-played, exciting game, with opposing fans chanting back and forth, and a thrilling finish.

The Boston Bruins rallied with two late goals to beat the Flyers, 2-1, in overtime yesterday at electric Fenway Park.

But the game also had just what the NHL didn't want: a controversial ending that marred the Bruins' nationally televised victory.

Marco Sturm deflected a Patrice Bergeron pass past Michael Leighton with 3 minutes, 3 seconds remaining in overtime, giving Boston the win in front of a frenzied sellout crowd of 38,112 that included about 8,000 fans in Flyers jerseys.

Bergeron spun away from Mike Richards before making the feed from the left circle.

After the goal, Richards and Jeff Carter protested to the officials that Boston had too many men on the ice.

"It was a fun week, but it's just disappointing the way it ended," Flyers forward Danny Briere said. "It is what it is."

Both teams said they enjoyed playing the outdoor game, which went off without any major hitches. The weather was clear and not too cold (39.6 degrees at the game's start), and, though the ice was choppy late in the game and created some slow conditions and crazy bounces, few players had complaints.

The only complaint was directed at the referees. Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, whose team controlled most of the game, criticized the referees for the late non-call - and a penalty he received late in the third period that helped Boston tie the game.

With 3:52 left in regulation, Timonen was called for tripping Marc Savard behind the Flyers' net.

"I was on the ground and he actually stepped on my leg and fell down," Timonen said. ". . . That's kind of weak to me."

"I don't agree with the call," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said.

On Sturm's goal, Timonen said teammates told him there were "at least six or seven guys on the ice - not just one extra man, but there's three extra. If you can't see that, there's nothing we can do, but that's way too many men on the ice."

Adam Patterson, the Flyers' video coach, said he looked at replays and saw that the Bruins had six players on the ice - two more than were legal at the time - when Sturm scored.

Goals can be reviewed using video for some rule violations, but too many men on the ice is not one of them.

"I thought we actually played a pretty good game, and what happened in the end happened," Timonen said. "There's nothing we can do. But I think overall it was a good team effort and we have to keep going like this."

Boston tied the game on Mark Recchi's power-play goal with 2:18 left in regulation.

The former Flyer got behind defenseman Matt Carle and redirected a right-circle shot by Derek Morris past goalie Michael Leighton, who was aiming for his second consecutive shutout.

Defenseman Danny Syvret, of all people, scored the Flyers' only goal - the first in his 44-game NHL career - early in the second period.

"I was just excited to get the first goal - and it just happened to be outdoors and at Fenway," Syvret said. "It's something I'll never forget."

Syvret received a huge assist from distracted goalie Tim Thomas.

Thomas was incensed that he was bumped by Scott Hartnell earlier in the shift, and he cross-checked Hartnell in retaliation a few seconds later. The problem was, he delivered the cross-check just as Syvret was shooting from the point.

Thomas was off balance and out of position - and had no chance to make the save.

The Flyers dominated the second period, and the Bruins were fortunate to face just a 1-0 deficit heading into the final 20 minutes.

With the Flyers on their first power play of the game, Thomas made a point-blank save on Claude Giroux midway through the second period. With a little less than six minutes to go in the period, Thomas stopped Arron Asham on a breakaway after the winger intercepted Zdeno Chara's pass.

Hartnell went in alone on the left wing with about 41/2 minutes to go in the middle period but fired high and wide. A short time later, Thomas made a brilliant save on Simon Gagne in front.

"We had six or seven two-on-one chances and just weren't able to capitalize," defenseman Chris Pronger said.

On one of those two-on-ones, Thomas stopped Briere with about 3:30 left in overtime. A short time later, the puck bounced over Briere's stick when he had an open net in front.

Boston, while shorthanded, nearly tied it with about 18 minutes left in the third period as Sturm's shot from outside the blue line bounced off Leighton and off the right goalpost.