OTTAWA, Ontario — In a matchup of teams fighting for position at the tail end of the Eastern Conference playoff structure, the Bruins dropped a 6-5 shootout decision to the Senators on Saturday at Canadian Tire Centre.

Tim Stutzle scored in the shootout to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins. Leevi Merilainen, who made 23 saves in regulation and overtime, turned away all three Bruins skaters in the tiebreaker.

All the Boston Bruins had to do was hold on for a few more minutes. Leading by two goals, all that separated them from a massive win was one last late push by the Ottawa Senators.

In a wildly entertaining and raucous game, the Bruins had their most emotional win of the season in their grasp only to cough up a two-goal lead late in the final 3:13 of regulation and lose in a shootoout.