BOSTON -- The All-Star break is over and the stretch run begins for the NHL.

The Boston Bruins began the unofficial second half of the season with a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night at TD Garden.

The Bruins capitalized on a pair of power plays with goals by Zdeno Chara and Brad Marchand. Boston also received even-strength tallies by Milan Lucic and Dennis Seidenberg en route to victory.

The first half of the opening period was a bit sloppy on both ends -- not all that surprising, as it came after a brief hiatus due to the annual All-Star Game.

The Bruins finally gained a 1-0 advantage at 11:57 when Chara's shot from the left point beat Senators goalie Craig Anderson through traffic in front during Boston's first power play of the game. It was Chara's first goal in 16 games. Six of his eight goals this season have come on the power play.

In the waning minutes of the first period, however, the Senators knotted the game at 1-1 when Ottawa's Colin Greening scored an even-strength goal at 18:40.

The Senators scored a pair of goals in the second period to gain a 3-1 lead. Ottawa's Kyle Turris scored at 7:43, before defenseman Erik Karlsson contributed a tally at 13:28. Boston cut its two-goal deficit by one when Lucic finished off a 3-on-2 with a goal from point-blank range at 19:15 of the second period. The tally was Lucic's 18th of the season.

Boston tied the game at 3-3 only 2:20 into the third period when Marchand collected his 18th goal of the season. The Bruins were on the power play when Marchand picked up the rebound in front off of Joe Corvo's shot from the point. Marchand's relentless effort resulted in the goal.

Seidenberg's go-ahead goal came at 7:09 of the third period when his slap shot from the red line beat Anderson to give Boston a 4-3 lead.

DROP 'EM, BOYS: NHL heavyweights dropped the gloves Tuesday night when the Bruins' Shawn Thornton and the Senators' Chris Neil went toe-to-toe at 12:38 of the first period. The two exchanged big-time blows in a spirited bout as the majority of the 17,565 in attendance were on their feet. The fisticuffs continued minutes later when the Bruins' Adam McQuaid and the Senators' Zenon Konopka went at it in another good bout of the big boys. The Bruins are now tied with the New York Rangers for the league lead with 38 fighting majors. In the second period, Neil caught the Bruins' David Krejci with a leg-on-leg hit, and linemate Milan Lucic tried to entice Neil to no avail.

COMING BACK: Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference sat out his final game of his three-game suspension Tuesday night. He'll be back in the lineup Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden. Ference received his suspension after his dangerous hit on the New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh on Jan. 21. Ference forfeited $36,486.48 in salary due to his suspension.

UP NEXT: The Bruins will host the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night at TD Garden at 7:05. The Hurricanes are 3-0-0 against the Bruins this season.