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 Captain Zdeno Chara scored the game-winner 29 seconds into the third
and the Bruins held on for a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The
win came after the Bruins surrendered third-period leads in
back-to-back defeats.
"We wanted to finish strong, and especially improve our third
period," Chara said. "And that's what we did."
On Monday, the Bruins gave up two third-period goals -- including
the game-winner with 1:42 remaining -- on their way to a 2-1 loss to
the New York Rangers. On Wednesday, the Bruins took a 2-1 lead into
the third before allowing two goals on their way to a 3-2 defeat to
the Philadelphia Flyers.
"We played on our toes in that third period and we really managed
the puck well enough not to give them much and that's probably the
difference here between tonight and those last two games," Bruins
head coach Claude Julien said.
Center Ryan Spooner had a goal and two assists for the Bruins
(22-16-5), who ended a three-game losing streak. Right winger Brett
Connolly and left winger Matt Beleskey also scored.
Goalie Jonas Gustavsson made 33 saves and came up big during the
second period. The Bruins took three consecutive penalties in a 4:32
span, but Buffalo was unable to score with the man advantage.
"When you kill those three you get some momentum from that and you
feel the energy maybe goes a little bit our way so obviously that
was huge," Gustavsson said.
Center David Legwand scored for the Sabres (17-23-4), who ended a
two-game winning streak. Before picking up back-to-back road wins,
the Sabres had lost six consecutive games.
"We've got to look at ourselves and figure out what it is," Sabres
captain Brian Gionta said. "We didn't do enough to win. We were
sloppy, especially in that first period. The execution was not
there. We weren't making good plays."
Goalie Robin Lehner had 26 saves in his return to the lineup. It was
Lehner's first game in net since suffering a high ankle sprain in
Buffalo's season opener.
"To be honest, I felt pretty good," Lehner said. "I felt like I was
in position."
Legwand opened the scoring with 5:23 remaining in the first period.
The fourth-liner scored on a wraparound to end a goal drought that
lasted 20 games.
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Beleskey evened the score 1:01 into the second period on a rebound.
After Lehner stopped a shot from Spooner from close range, Beleskey
pounced on the rebound and flung a hard shot into the top of the net
for his eighth goal of the season.
Chara gave Boston a 2-1 lead 29 seconds into the third period after
a faceoff in the Buffalo end. The Bruins captain lifted a high wrist
shot from the blue line through traffic, ending a goal drought that
lasted 18 games. It was his sixth goal of the year.
"Sometimes you just put pucks on the net," Chara said. "With so much
traffic, so many bodies, you can't really pick corners. ... The
opening was there and the puck found a way into the net."
Spooner made it 3-1 with 9:07 remaining. The Bruins center spun
along the right wall and fired the puck toward the net, which found
its way past Lehner with traffic in front.
"The third one, I think was just a lucky goal," Lehner said. "Two
guys in front, battling in front of me and hit something in there
and just goes in."
Connolly added an empty-net goal with 1:09 remaining.
Sabres left winger Zemgus Girgensons left the game midway through
the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return.
Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said that Girgensons is not expected to
play Saturday against Washington.
NOTES: Sabres D Mark Pysyk and D Carlo Colaiacovo were scratched. D
Joe Morrow, RW Tyler Randall and RW David Pastrnak were scratched
for the Bruins. ... With Sabres G Robin Lehner returning from a high
ankle sprain, G Linus Ullmark was sent back to Rochester of the AHL
on Thursday. The 22-year-old went 7-10-2 with the Sabres, posting a
.915 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. ... This was
the second of four meetings between the Sabres and Bruins this
season. The next meeting takes place on Feb. 4 in Buffalo.
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