BOSTON (AP) — Steve Begin got his first goal with Boston, getting the tiebreaker at 8:33 of the third period Wednesday night to lift the short-handed Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.

The Bruins, who have lost Milan Lucic (broken finger) and Marc Savard (broken foot) to long-term injured reserve, traded Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota, were also without Shawn Thornton (undisclosed injury).

Daniel Paille, acquired from Buffalo Tuesday, and rookies Brad Marchand and Trent Whitefield all played their first games in a Boston uniform. Paille assisted on the winning goal and Marchand setting up Michael Ryder’s goal. Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston.

Jerred Smithson and rookie Colin Wilson, a member of Boston University’s 2009 NCAA championship team, got his first NHL goal for the Predators.

Paille got the puck in front of the net, where Begin pounced on it and beat Dan Ellis to give the Bruins their first lead of the game. They held on at the end with Tim Thomas closing the door in the final seconds.

The Bruins had just killed a penalty against Derek Morris when Smithson converted from in front of Thomas for his first goal of the year, at 5:55 of the opening period. Boston got that goal back when Marchand, carrying the puck down the right side, made a move to the inside, the puck sliding to an open Ryder, who beat Ellis with a backhander just 26 seconds into the second period.

The Predators answered, again a short time after the Bruins killed a penalty. Thomas stopped a shot by Patric Hornqvist, the puck popped straight in the and air and over Thomas. It landed in the crease and Wilson stuffed it into the net.

But Boston got that goal back, too, when Zdeno Chara’s blast from the left point was stopped by Ellis, who saw the rebound come out to an unguarded Bergeron, who slid the puck in on his second jam attempt.

The goal gave Bergeron, the Bruins’ No. 1 center with Savard out four points in the last four games.

NOTES: The injuries to Savard and Lucic and the trade of Phil Kessel to Toronto before the start of the season leaves the Bruins without their entire top line of last year. … Wilson received his NCAA title ring at BU’s game against Notre Dame Tuesday night. … Predators’ rookie Cody Franson picked up his first NHL point when he assisted on Smothson’s goal. … Nashville, which placed Jason Arnott on injured reserve, recalled F Dave Scatchard and D Alexander Sulzer for the game, the second stop on a five-game trip. … D Dennis Wideman, who missed three games for the Bruins with a shoulder injury, returned to the lineup. … The Predators won the only game played between the two teams last year, in a shootout in Nashville.

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