Adam Hall got the puck in deep and got Tim Thomas out of position, depositing the puck off the Boston netminder's backside and into the net to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead just 13 seconds into regulation, but persistence was the order of the day for the Bruins, who finally recorded a power play goal when Nathan Horton deflected a Dennis Seidenberg blast from the point with one second left on the Bruins' third power play of the period.
The Bruins answered the Hall goal with a strong shift by the Chris Kelly line, and another huge offensive possession saw the Bruins make three changes in the attacking zone before Tampa was finally forced to ice the puck. Guy Boucher used his team's lone timeout to give his men a breather and Tampa was able to clear the zone on the ensuing faceoff, negating the Bruins' attack.
Ryan Malone got engaged the wrong way with a couple of Bruins later in the period, putting the Lightning on the kill for most of the second half of the period, but it was Hall's roughing penalty at 11:58 that created a chance for Seidenberg to get a clean look from the point and beat Roloson high. Horton was given credit for the goal, but it looked like it went straight off the corner of the net and in.
Chris Kelly had a chance at an open net after Roloson misplayed the puck just a shift later, but the former Ottawa Senator wasn't able to capitalize.
A Nathan Horton interference minor produced more chances for the Bruins than for the Lightning, who took advantage when Zdeno Chara was sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct in conjunction with Steve Downie's roughing minor. Steven Stamkos launched a blind backhand at the net with just seven seconds remaining and it deflected off Johnny Boychuk's skate and in to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead heading into the locker room.
The Bruins won the period with physical play, getting bodies to the net and shooting the skin off the puck. To be trailing on the scoreboard after a period like that is demoralizing, but the Black and Gold need to find a way around it and get back in the game before Tampa can extend their lead.