Sabres snap 4-game skid with win over Atlantic Division-leading Bruins
BOSTON (AP) — JJ Peterka, Tage Thompson and Victor Olofsson scored and the Buffalo Sabres snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Thursday night.
Devon Levi made 30 saves for Buffalo, which beat the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins for the first time in nearly a calendar year. The Bruins had won three straight against Buffalo. The Sabres last beat Boston on Dec. 31, 2022.
Brad Marchand scored for Boston, which had its four-game winning streak halted. Marchand also recorded the 1,000th penalty of his career. Linus Ullmark finished with 33 saves, and the Bruins were outshot 35-29.
A scramble in front of the Boston net was originally ruled a no-goal by the referee behind the net, then ruled a goal for Buffalo’s Eric Anderson after the officials huddled. The play was reviewed for goaltender interference, with the Bruins winning the challenge with 5:18 left in the first period. The period ended with the Sabres outshooting Boston 19-5.
Early in the second period, Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens won a faceoff in the Boston zone and Peterka scored his 11th goal of the season on a shot from just outside the circle.
Buffalo made it 2-0 with three minutes left in the second. Former Bruin Connor Clifton sent a pass to Thompson, who scored his seventh of the season on a one-timer from just outside the hash marks of the left circle.
The Bruins cut their deficit in half 28 seconds later when Marchand’s shot bounced off Buffalo defenseman Erik Johnson and into the net. The score made it five straight Boston goals coming off the Marchand’s stick dating to last Saturday.
Boston spent considerable time in the Buffalo zone early in the third period before a developing 2-on-1 break resulted in Olofsson scoring his fourth of the season.
Anderson made his debut with the Sabres one day after being acquired from Columbus. Boston recalled two players before Thursday’s game. Defenseman Mason Lohrei took the place of Derek Forbort, who was placed on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury. With Jeremy Swayman missing the game for the Bruins with an illness, goalie Brandon Bussi served as the backup to Ulllmark.
The Bruins played the majority of the third period without top defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who went to the dressing room after a heavy collision.
UP NEXT
Sabres: Host Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Bruins: Host Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.
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