BOSTON — Brad Marchand scored twice, David Pastrnak got his NHL-leading 20th goal and the Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Thursday night.
Tuukka Rask stopped 35 shots to help the Bruins win for the third time in four games (3-0-1) following a season-high four-game skid.
Rasmus Ristolainen and Brandon Montour each scored and Linus Ullmark had 24 saves for the Sabres. Buffalo has dropped nine of 10 (1-7-2) after winning nine of its first 12 games.
Bruins star centre Patrice Bergeron had an assist in his return after missing two games with a lower body injury.
Marchand’s second of the game and 15th of the season came on a power play with 5:15 left in the second period to put Boston up 2-1. Matt Grzelcyk skated into the slot and fired a wrist shot that bounced right to Marchand, who threw the puck in under Ullmark.
Pastrnak’s second-chance, power-play strike made it 3-1 two minutes into the third.
Rask wowed the crowd with a diving glove save on Evan Rodrigues’ shot at 4:51.
Montour’s one-timer from the top of the left circle brought the Sabres to 3-2 with 7:02 remaining.
Buffalo led 1-0 after Ristolainen scored his first of the season on a rebound of Jack Eichel’s shot from the left circle 5:25 into the game.
The Sabres pelted Rask with 13 shots to open the game before Brandon Carlo logged the Bruins’ first shot with 7:49 left in the first.
Boston tied it on its second shot after Marchand tipped in Zdeno Chara’s shot from the blue line with 6:08 to play in the first.
Buffalo finished the first with a 17-4 advantage on shots.
NOTES
Marchand and Pastrnak (19 goals) are the first teammates with 15 goals apiece in their team’s first 22 games since Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone in 2009-10, according to Sportsnet Stats. … Boston remained the only NHL team without a regulation home loss this season at 8-0-4. … Bruins C Par Lindholm exited after being taken down by Rasmus Asplund while fighting for a loose puck early in the first period, but returned in the second. … Boston RW Brett Ritchie sat out with a recurrence of an infection. … Boston D Torey Krug (upper body) missed his fifth straight game, but participated in an optional skate Thursday and hopes to return Saturday. … Sabres LW Johan Larsson was back in the lineup after a three-game absence with an upper-body injury. … Bruins trainer Don DelNegro worked his 2,000th NHL game in his 27th season. DelNegro was honoured with a video tribute and an ovation midway through the first period.
UP NEXT
Sabres: At Florida on Sunday night.
Bruins: Host Minnesota on Saturday night.
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Gethin Coolbaugh, The Associated Press
