B's manage 1 point in home-and-home.

Byline: Bud Barth

BOSTON - If the Bruins' weekend series against the high-flying Ottawa Senators proved anything, it's that goalie Tim Thomas and right wing Chuck Kobasew are at the top of their games.

Now, if they can just get some company, who knows what the future might hold?

Thomas turned in his second superlative effort in 24 hours, turning aside 35 of 36 shots, and Kobasew - carrying the entire offensive load for the second straight night - scored his third consecutive goal, but those performances weren't enough to prevent a 2-1 shootout victory by Ottawa before a sparse gathering of 10,087 last night at the Garden.

Antoine Vermette scored a short-handed goal at 4:01 of the third period to tie it, then scored the second Ottawa goal of the shootout to clinch the Senators' league-best 12th win of the season and their second victory in as many nights over Boston, which fell to 7-5-1 but managed to salvage a point.

Though some of the Bruins said they were using the home-and-home series as a measuring stick, coach Claude Julien backed away from any such comparison.

"I don't think we're intimidated by them," Julien said. "I just think we've got to do some things better."

Boston's penalty-killing certainly improved, holding Ottawa 0 for 6 on the power play a night after the Senators had three extra-strength goals. The Senators didn't have an even-strength goal in either game, which some of the Bruins also took as a minor victory.

"I think we've played some good hockey," Thomas said, assessing his team's first 13 games. "As coach said before the game, I don't think we've even played the best that we can play yet, so that's a positive."

The Bruins, thanks to Thomas, survived a frantic second period in which they were outshot, 16-4, and had to withstand three penalties in a span of 2:19, resulting in a five-on-three Ottawa power play for 40 seconds.

Thomas had to come up big several times, frustrating ex-Bruin Shean Donovan at the left post on a power play at 6:45 of the period. Then Thomas made three big stops during a hectic Senators flurry, holding his ground at the right post to foil Vermette, who then retreated behind the net and came out on the other side to test Thomas, who turned away two more shots.

Kobasew played a terrific game all over the ice, scoring his sixth goal of the season on a wrist shot from right in front at 4:13 of the first period. Phil Kessel set it up with a nice pass into the slot after circling behind the net.

"It's a funny thing," Kobasew said. "You've just got to keep shooting. When it comes to scoring goals, it's pretty streaky."

Thomas made that goal stand up until Vermette shocked the Bruins just 28 seconds after they began a power play. The Ottawa forward knocked in the rebound of an Anton Volchenkov shot that hit the post before bouncing back out to him.

"I heard it hit the post," Thomas said, "but I never did find it again until it was in the net."

The Bruins had a great chance to tie it with 10 seconds left in overtime, but Marco Sturm inexplicably passed up a wide-open shot while streaking toward the net on the left side, opting to try a return pass to Marc Savard that found only open ice in front of the net.

"We've got to take the positives (and remember) they're a good hockey team," Savard said. "We truly believe we can beat this team."

NAME: BOSTON BRUINS

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Boston's Chuck Kobasew, right, celebrates his goal with Marco Sturm, as Dennis Wideman (6) skates in.

PHOTOG: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS