Sabres 4, Bruins 2
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Right winger Drew Stafford scored his first goal since early November to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
Stafford scored the game-winning goal on a wraparound with 5:41 remaining. It was his third goal of the season and his first since Nov. 5.
Defenseman Tyler Myers gave the Sabres some insurance 1:19 later on his third goal of the season. Center Brian Flynn led Buffalo on a three-on-one rush up ice and waited patiently for Myers, the trailer, who put a wrist shot past Bruins goaltender Chad Johnson on his blocker side.
Flynn and left winger Marcus Foligno also scored for the Sabres (9-23-3). Goalie Ryan Miller made 34 saves.
Left winger Brad Marchand scored both of Boston's goals. Johnson recorded 19 saves for the Bruins (23-10-2).
Penalties dominated the first period, but it was a short-handed goal that got Buffalo on the board first. Flynn gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with 3:33 left in the first period on a short-handed breakaway. Flynn roofed a backhand shot past Johnson for his third goal of the season.
Boston answered with a short-handed goal of its own 1:50 into the second period. Marchand finished a two-on-one rush with a wrist shot through Miller's legs for his sixth goal of the season.
Marchand added another goal just 1:04 later to put Boston up 2-1. This time, he roofed a shot into the top left corner of the net.
Buffalo tied it at 2 with 2:49 to go in the second period on Foligno's fifth goal of the season. Defenseman Jamie McBain's shot was going wide, but hit Foligno and the power forward put home the easy rebound for his second goal in as many games. Prior to Tuesday, Foligno had no points in 12 games.
NOTES: During the game, the Sabres announced that they acquired RW Linus Omark from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick. Omark had 14 goals and 15 assists in 29 games for AHL Oklahoma City this season. ... LW Daniel Paille (concussion) and LW Shawn Thornton (suspension) were scratched for the Bruins. ... D Chad Ruhwedel and LW John Scott were scratched for the Sabres. Leading up to the game, the Sabres considered playing Scott, their enforcer, on defense. ... C Matt Ellis played his 200th game in a Sabres uniform. The veteran recently returned to Buffalo after starting the season with the AHL's Rochester Americans. ... The teams met for the second of five times this season. They play again Saturday in Boston.
