Final: Boston 1, New Jersey 0 (OT)

The Bruins out-Deviled the Devils. Boston played what in the clichéd hockey vernacular would term a “good road game.” It wasn’t much fun to watch, but it got the Bruins two points they desperately needed. Boston beat New Jersey at its own game, playing a tight defensive style that limited chances until Patrice Bergeron finally broke a scoreless stalemate with 18.3 seconds left in overtime. The win moves Boston into a tie with Montreal and Philadelphia with 82 points, though the Bruins remain in the eighth spot as the Habs and Flyers have more wins. The Bruins also no longer have any games in hand on either team, with all three having six games remaining. Atlanta (80 points) and the Rangers (78 points) kept pace with wins over Toronto and the Islanders, respectively, so the Bruins’ hold on a playoff spot is still far from secure.

Records: Boston 35-29-12, 82 points; New Jersey 44-26-6, 94 points

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Contain Kovalchuk – Ilya Kovalchuk may have played the quietest 21:02 in hockey history. The Bruins deserve much of the credit for that, but Kovalchuk also didn’t bring anything close to his a game in this one. He was a minus-1 as he was on the ice for the Bruins’ goal and had no hits, a giveaway (in OT that eventually led to Boston’s winning goal) and just one shot. That shot was a quality scoring chance with 1:59 left in OT, but it took over 63 minutes of game action for him to produce his first scoring chance.

2. Get Wheels rolling – Blake Wheeler has now gone eight games without a point. He didn’t threaten to end that streak in this one, managing just one shot in 17:23. He can’t complain about his linemates, as David Krejci continued his strong play and even Michael Ryder created some chances as they both had three shots. Wheeler has to get his game going again and start producing some points.

3. Maintain intensity – The Bruins didn’t play overly physical or with too much emotion in this one, but they played smart and maintained their focus and effort throughout until Bergeron finally came through in overtime. It wasn’t exciting, but it was effective.

Key Play of the Game:

With just one goal in the game – and that coming in the closing seconds of overtime – there’s not much doubt about this choice. The Bruins finally broke through against Martin Brodeur after Kovalchuk’s turnover led to a Bruins rush the other way. Bergeron’s initial shot was saved, but he got the puck back to Mark Stuart, who backed across the Devils zone and eventually fired in a shot from the right point that Mark Recchi tipped. The rebound came loose to Bergeron in the left crease, and he banged it home for the win.

Fight Card:

There were no fights in this one, and not even a penalty until 7:03 of the third. That snapped New Jersey’s streak of consecutive games with a fight at six.

Flynn’s Finest:

Consider this goaltender controversy over. Tuukka Rask ended any doubts that he is now the Bruins’ No. 1 goalie, as he outdueled Martin Brodeur for the victory in this one. It was Rask’s sixth career shutout, which still leaves him over a hundred behind Brodeur. Rask wasn’t as busy as Brodeur in this one as the Bruins outshot New Jersey 34-21, but Rask stopped every shot he did face, including some testing bids – most notably Kovalchuk’s lone shot in OT. … Patrice Bergeron came up huge once again with his 50^th point and fourth game-winning goal on the season. It was his third goal this year against New Jersey, as he and Wheeler finish as the only Bruins to score against the Devils this season. Bergeron added five shots and two takeaways in 20:26. … Mark Stuart had an assist on the goal and also chipped in four hits, two shots and two blocked shots, finishing a plus-1 in 21:46. … Mark Recchi also picked up an assist and had four shots and a takeaway in 18:11. … Dennis Seidenberg has now played 15 games as a Bruin without finishing a minus. He was even in this one with four hits and three blocked shots in 27:46.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

After a one-game outburst against Calgary, the power play is back in its slumber. The Bruins were 0 for 2 with just one shot in this one. … Boston also took some ill-timed penalties, with Zdeno Chara getting called for hooking in the third period of a scoreless game, though that came after a Blake Wheeler turnover put Chara in a tough position. Chara did play a game-high 28:17 and had five shots and two blocked shots, so the positives definitely outweighed the negatives in the captain’s play. … Wheeler was largely invisible again with just one shot in 17:23. … Matt Hunwick also took a penalty in the third for delay of game when his diving lunge at the puck sent it over the glass. Hunwick failed to record a shot in 12:40.

Next: The Bruins return home to face Florida on Thursday.

Matchup: Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. (NESN; 98.5 FM)

Records: Boston 34-29-12, 80 points; New Jersey 44-26-5, 93 points

Past History: The Bruins are trying to avoid a season sweep against the Devils, who have won the first three games, all by one goal. They lost both games in Boston by 2-1 scores. The first came with Danius Zubrus scoring with 1:26 left in the third on Oct. 29, while the second was in a shootout on Nov. 27. In Newark on March 15, the Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, then barely hung on for a 3-2 win. All-time, the Bruins are 63-36-19-10 against the Devils, and 29-18-11-4 in New Jersey.

Bruins Connections: Forward Brian Rolston came to Boston from Colorado as part of the Ray Bourque trade, and returned for his second stint with New Jersey last year. Ben Walter also was up for a pair of games in January, while former Bruins coach Pat Burns and assistant Jacques Laperriere serve as special assignment coaches for the Devils, though Burns’ is more of an honorary post as he continues his battle against cancer. Bruins legend Ferny Flaman also serves as a scout for New Jersey.

New England Ties: Jay Pandolfo (Burlington, Mass.) has spent his entire 13-year career in New Jersey, while Mike Mottau (Quincy, Mass.) has spent the past three seasons with the Devils. Backup goalie Yann Danis played his college hockey at Brown University, while goalie coach Chris Terreri (Providence, RI) spent his college days across town at Providence College. Devils president and GM Lou Lamoriello also honed his skills at PC, where he was the hockey coach and athletic director before moving to the pro game. His son, Chris Lamoriello (Providence, RI) is the club’s senior vice president.

Injury Update: The Devils will likely be without enforcer Andrew Peters, who had his eye scratched in a fight with the Rangers’ Jody Shelley last week. David Clarkson also suffered a facial cut when cross-checked by Philadelphia’s Daniel Carcillo on Sunday. Carcillo was given a match penalty, but Clarkson is not expected to miss any games. The Bruins will be without Marc Savard (concussion) and Andrew Ference (groin/hernia).

Fight Card: There have been three fights so far this season between the teams, with Shawn Thornton taking on Peters on Nov. 27, and Mark Stuart fighting Rod Pelley and Thornton battling Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond on March 15. The Devils are just 17^th in the league with 42 fighting majors, but they’ve been an ill-tempered bunch of late. New Jersey has had at least one fight in six straight games and has 13 fighting majors in 14 games in March. Peters leads the team with nine fighting majors, but Clarkson has four of his eight this month and Leblond has five of his seven in March. The Bruins have 47 fighting majors, including 11 in 15 games this month, with Thornton leading the team with a career-high 21 this year.

Matchup to Watch: Tuukka Rask vs. Martin Brodeur. After Tom Thomas’ latest implosion last night, there’s no doubt about Rask getting the call in this one. He leads the NHL with a 2.08 GAA and is second with a .928 save percentage. He’s done well in limited action against the Devils this year as well, going 0-0-1 in two appearances, including stopping all 16 shots he faced in relief of Thomas on March 15. He’s got an 0.58 GAA and a .981 save percentage against the Devils. Brodeur has had even more success against the Bruins of late, with a 9-2-0 record and a 1.96 GAA in his last 11 starts against Boston.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Contain Kovalchuk – Bruins fans were disappointed when Ilya Kovalchuk landed in New Jersey instead of Boston, but they’ll be even more upset if he continues to pile up points against the Bruins in this one. He has 20 points in 20 games with the Devils, including 3-5-8 totals in his last four games. He also has 39 points in 32 career games against Boston, though they did keep him scoreless earlier this month in his first game against Boston as a Devil.

2. Get Wheels rolling – The Bruins don’t have an explosive scorer to match the likes of Kovalchuk or Zach Parise, but they can get better production out of what they do have. While many Bruins have stepped up to fill the void with Savard’s absence, Blake Wheeler has been invisible of late. He hasn’t picked up a point in seven games, despite the fact that linemate David Krejci has come alive with 5-9-14 totals in his last 10 games and even Michael Ryder has managed four points in the last seven games. Wheeler does have two goals, plus a goal in a shootout, against the Devils this year, so there is some reason for hope tonight. Wheeler and Patrice Bergeron each have a pair of goals against New Jersey – the only Bruins to score in the first three games against the Devils this season.

3. Maintain intensity – The Bruins came out strong last night, carrying the play early and scoring the first goal. But they couldn’t maintain that pace and Buffalo took over until a late Bruins rally came up a goal short. Playing back-to-back nights will require even more energy, but the Bruins need to come out fast and keep up that intensity for the whole game. This is Boston’s second-to-last set of back-to-back games, and so far they are just 6-8-3 in the first games, but 7-6-2 in the second. They need to continue that trend with another win tonight in the back end of a back-to-back set.

The Lowdown: The Bruins continued their Jekyll and Hyde season with another disappointing performance last night after their strong showing on Saturday. They can’t afford to keep giving away points as the season is quickly coming to a close. They still lead Atlanta by two points for the final playoff spot with a game in hand. The Thrashers are playing in Toronto tonight, so a Bruins loss and an Atlanta win will pull them even in points. The Bruins could also pull even with Philadelphia and Montreal with a win. They trail both by two points with a game in hand on both. Both of those teams are off tonight, so this is the final game in hand. After tonight, all three teams will have just six games remaining in the sprint to the finish. The Devils have been equally inconsistent of late, going 2-2-2 in their last six games, including a 5-1 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday. But they are 5-1-1 at home this month and 25-10-2 overall on home ice this season. New Jersey has plenty to play for too, as a win moves them ahead of Pittsburgh into first place in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference.

Final: Buffalo 3, Boston 2

The Bruins, and Tim Thomas, couldn’t follow up Saturday’s impressive win, as Buffalo weathered an early charge by Boston, then drove Thomas out of the game with three goals on 14 shots. Tuukka Rask kept the Bruins within striking distance, but their comeback attempt in the third fell short. Fortunately for Boston, Atlanta also lost, falling to Carolina 4-1. That keeps the Bruins in eighth by two points over the Thrashers, but they also remain two points back of Montreal and Philadelphia and have now wasted one of their games in hand without closing the gap.

Records: Boston 34-29-12, 80 points; Buffalo 42-23-10, 94 points

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Tuukka time or Miller time? – Thomas was a bit of a surprise choice to start, but that only delayed the eventual matchup between the top two goalies in the NHL in GAA and save percentage, as Rask replaced Thomas early in the second. Rask matched Ryan Miller save for save for then on, stopping all 19 shots he faced, but it was too late for the Bruins, who could only get two of their 42 shots past Miller.

2. Not another Roy – With Tim Connolly, Thomas Vanek and Raffi Torres out injured, much of the Sabres’ scoring load has fallen on Derek Roy. He did chip in an assist in this one and was a plus-1, setting up Tim Kennedy’s game-winner. But Roy had a quiet night otherwise with just one shot in 17:16.

3. Power surge – In a matchup of two of the top three penalty killing units in the NHL, both teams lived up to their billing. Buffalo denied the Bruins on two power-play opportunities, limiting them to three total shots while the best scoring chance actually came from the Sabres on Jason Pominville’s short-handed breakaway. The Bruins also had one shot short-handed while holding Buffalo to two shots on one unsuccessful power play.

Key Play of the Game:

The Bruins trailed 2-1 early in the second when they got their first power-play chance. Not only did Buffalo kill off Mark Mancari’s holding penalty, but just 21 seconds after it expired, the Sabres struck for a back-breaking third goal. Roy came down the right wing after a Bruin turnover created a two-on-1 down low, and Roy fed it across to Kennedy for a quick shot through Thomas’s pads. It just barely dribbled over the line, but made it 3-1 at 6:08 of the second, ending Thomas’ night and creating a hole the Bruins could not dig out of.

Fight Card:

There were a few scrums and some big hits, but no fights in this one. Milan Lucic and Craig Rivet came close after Lucic gave an extra whack to Miller when he tied up a Zdeno Chara point shot on a second-period power play. Rivet took exceptions and shoves led to the gloves coming off, but the linesmen pounced on the pair immediately and nothing further developed. Neither player even received a penalty on the play.

Quote of the Night:

Coach Claude Julien defending his decision to start Thomas:

“It had to do with his performance on Saturday,” said Julien. “I think, No. 1, he was extremely good. No. 2, when we looked at the schedule as a coaching staff, having a back-to-back game and the way Timmy played, we thought we’d have ourselves two fresh goaltenders on both nights. We know the importance of these games. That was the thought behind doing that. Having said that, hindsight’s always 20/20. If we get the win tonight, it’s definitely a great move. At the same time, if we’re going to look at pointing the finger there, I think we have to look at missed opportunities. We had opportunities here to score more than two goals and we didn’t do it. So that’s one of the reasons we lost 3-2, some of those quality chances, we weren’t able to capitalize on.”

Flynn’s Finest:

Tuukka Rask came in cold and almost singlehandedly lifted the Bruins to a comeback win. He stopped all 19 shots he faced, several on highlight-reel quality saves, and even set up Boston’s second goal. After taking a long dump-in, Rask spotted Dennis Seidenberg open in center ice and fired a long outlet pass to him. Seidenberg drove down the right wing and his shot deflected off Miller and in to make it 3-2 at 14:23 of the third, with Rask earning the sole assist – his third helper of the season. … It was Seidenberg’s second straight game with a goal after he scored his first as a Bruin on Saturday. Seidenberg had four shots, three hits and two blocked shots in 24:00, and was a plus-1. He’s now plus-10 in 14 games with Boston and has been plus or even in every game he’s played for Boston. … Vladimir Sobotka continues to do all the little things right. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound center had two hits, including an early one that leveled 6-foot-8, 222-pound Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers at center ice. Sobotka also won 9 of 10 face-offs. The rest of the team was 20 of 44. Over the last two games, Sobotka has won 19 of 21 draws. … David Krejci continues to dazzle with his skill. His goal was a thing of beauty as he maneuvered around Miller and tucked in the puck at the right post from behind the goal line. He has 5-9-14 totals in the last 10 games, as he’s elevated his game since Marc Savard was knocked out of the lineup.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

Tim Thomas goes from penthouse to doghouse in one game. After shutting out the Flames on Saturday, he didn’t make it out of the second period in this one, as he was pulled after allowing three goals on 14 shots. It was the sixth time this year that Thomas has been pulled, including twice in his last three starts. … Permanent doghouse resident Dennis Wideman didn’t help Thomas much. Wideman was a team-worst minus-3, as he was on the ice for all three Buffalo goals. Just being on the ice wasn’t enough though. He actually had the first two go in off him, with Myers’ point shot tipping off Wideman as he screened Thomas, then Paul Gaustad’s backhander deflected in off Wideman’s skate. Wideman was also the only man back for the two-on-one that led to the third goal, but he might as well not have been, as he neither denied the shot not cut off the pass. … Claude Julien deserves his share of blame as well for putting Thomas in there in the first place. Thomas had lost his last four games against Buffalo, with the Sabres scoring 14 goals in those games. Rask, meanwhile, had started all four games against Buffalo this year and was 3-1-0, allowing seven total goals. He also leads the league in GAA and is second in save percentage. After tonight’s relief effort, he’s got a 1.52 GAA and a .951 save percentage against the Sabres. Thomas’ numbers against Buffalo? He’s 6-9-2 with a 3.24 GAA and an .893 save percentage. … Marco Sturm had a game-high seven shots, but finished without a point. He failed to convert an early penalty shot that could have changed the whole complexion of the game and was a minus-1 and gave Buffalo its only power play with a second-period hooking penalty. … Andrew Ference, who signed a surprising three-year extension last week, missed his second straight game with a groin injury/hernia. He won’t make the trip to New Jersey and is out indefinitely. It’s possible the surgery he had planned to have after the season could be needed now, which would end his season early.

Next: The Bruins get right back at it tomorrow, playing at New Jersey in another huge game for their playoff hopes.

BOSTON — Welcome to the Garden. The Bruins take on Buffalo in a key one this evening. A win can put the Bruins in sixth place in the East – and set up a possible first-round matchup with these same third-seeded Sabres – while a loss could put Boston’s playoff hopes in jeopardy.

Check back here throughout the night for updates on all the action.

Final: Buffalo 3, Boston 2

All done at the Garden, as the Sabres hold on for the one-goal win.

19:45-3rd – Boston timeout after Sabres icing; face-off in Buffalo zone for final chance at tying it up

14:23-3rd – Boston goal

Bruins pull within one, with Rask again coming up big, this time offensively. He took a long clear in and fired a pass up to Dennis Seidenberg on the right side in center ice. Seidenberg drove into the zone and fired a shot that deflected off and over Miller, dribbling over the goal line as Chara crashed the crease.

Seidenberg from Rask (14:23-3rd); Buffalo, 3-2

13:37-3rd – Buffalo uses its timeout to collect itself for the final minutes

2:26-3rd – Derek Roy with a breakaway, Rask comes up big again with the save. Rask is the only thing keeping this a game instead of a rout.

0:13-3rd – Bruins power play ends without a shot on goal; Buffalo had one short-handed bid on Pominville’s breakaway before the end of the second

End second Period – Buffalo, 3-1

- Bruins facing some long odds in pulling out a win in this one, trailing by two heading into the third.

- Thomas was pulled for the second time in his last three starts. He gave up three goals on 12 shots in a period against New Jersey on March 15 and three on 13 shots before being yanked in the second of this one. In between, he did post a shutout, but the Bruins need better consistency from him if they are to trust him with any more starts down the stretch.

- Rask came in cold but he’s almost singlehandedly kept the Bruins in this one, stopping all 12 shots he’s faced so far.

- This one is looking a lot like last week’s loss to Tampa Bay. Boston is outshooting Buffalo (28-25), but the Sabres are getting the better chances because of some bad defensive breakdowns.

18:57-2nd -Jason Pominville with the steal and short-handed breakaway. Rask makes the save to keep Boston in game. Marco Sturm levels Pominville after he takes an extra whack at Rask.

18:13-2nd – Derek Roy off for hooking, Bruins get another chance with power play.

14:44-2nd – Sturm with a chance in front. Miller makes the save, then stops the rebound attempt as well.

9:13-2nd – Sturm off for hooking, giving Buffalo its first power-play chance. Bruins need a kill here to stay in this game.

6:08-2nd – Buffalo goal

Bruins can’t convert on power play, and Sabres counterattack again, with Derek Roy coming down the right wing and crossing it to Tim Kennedy for the shot from the right that trickled through Thomas’ pads. Thomas is pulled for Rask after the goal, having allowed three goals on just 13 shots.

Kennedy from Roy, Drew Stafford (6:08-2nd); Buffalo, 3-1

5:25-2nd – Milan Lucic takes an extra whack at Miller after he ties up shot from the point. Craig Rivet takes exception. They shove and drop gloves, but linesmen all over them to prevent a fight. No penalties to either.

3:47-2nd – Buffalo’s Mark Mancari off for holding, Bruins get the first power-play chance of the night

2:39-2nd – Great move by Michael Ryder, faking around Henrik tallinder and dishing it over to Blake Wheeler at the left post, but Wheeler can’t corral the pass

End first period – Buffalo, 2-1

- The Bruins came out strong and carried the play early, but the Sabres withstood the storm and answered back in the second half of the period. Now it’s the Bruins’ turn to find a way to respond and regain control before this one gets away from them.

- Solid physical effort from the Bruins, especially early. Sobotka made the biggest hit, decking the towering Myers, but Mark Stuart, Johnny Boychuk, Dennis Seidenberg and even Michael Ryder all landed big hits as well.

- The also hold a slight edge (11-9) in face-offs so far, thanks lagrelyto Sobotka. After winning 10 of 11 draws on Saturday, he’s 4-0 tonight.

- Another rough night for Dennis Wideman. He’s a minus-2 already, with both Buffalo goals appearing to go in off him. The second clearly deflected off his skate, while the first appeared to change direction as it passed him. At the least, he screen Thomas on the play, giving the goalie no chance to make the stop.

11:43-1st – Buffalo goal

More bad luck for Thomas and the B’s, as a rebound goes past Wideman and Shawn Thornton to Paul Gaustad in the slot, and Gaustad’s backhander goes off Wideman’s skate and past Thomas. Mike Grier (Holliston, Mass.) picks up an assist, as does Myers, who had the initial shot on Thomas.

Gaustad from Grier, Myers (11:34-1st); Buffalo, 2-1

9:56-1st – Buffalo goal

Tyler Myers intercepts Mark Stuart’s attempted clear off Blake Wheeler’s stick and fires in a shot from the right point through a screen. Tim THomas never saw it, and it may have deflected in off Dennis Wideman, who was blocking Thomas’ view and appreared to throw his left elbow out in an attempt to block it.

Myers (unassisted), 9:56; tied 1-1

7:43-1st – Boston goal

The Bruins grab an early lead off an awesome effort by David Krejci, who maneuvers around Miller and tucks the puck in at the right post from behind the goal line. Chara picks up the assist, and now has a point in every game against Buffalo this year.

Krejci from Chara (7:43-1st); Boston, 1-0

7:05-1st – Excellent shift by Bruins fourth line, as Daniel Paille, Shawn Thornton and Steve Begin are buzzing all over the Buffalo zone, creating several excellent scoring chances. Zdeno Chara also had some words with Paul Gaustad. Gaustad wanted Chara to go in Buffalo back in February but the captain couldn’t with his hand injury. Maybe Chara will cash in the rain check tonight.

3:20-1st – Marco Sturm with the breakaway down the left wing, hauled down from behind by Craig Rivet. Penalty shot for Sturm. He goes forehand aiming for teh 5-hole, but Miller closes the pads to make the save.

2:16-1st – David Krejci with an early bid from the right slot, off Ryan Miller’s glove and into the side of the net.

1:05-1st – Vladimir Sobotka with the first big hit of the night, as he lays out Tyler Myers at center ice. That’s 5-10, 183 taking out 6-8, 222.

BOSTON – Welcome to the Garden, where the Bruins will try to solidify their hold on a playoff spot against the Northeast Division-leading Sabres. Buffalo has already clinched a postseason berth for the first time in three years, but the Sabres have plenty to play for as well, as they are still battling for seeding and trying to hold off Ottawa for the division title and No. 3 seed.

Despite Tuukka Rask’s gaudy stats and previous success against the Sabres this year, the Bruins will stick with Tim Thomas in goal for this one. Thomas started his first game since March 15 on Saturday and showed no signs of rust as he shut out Calgary in a 5-0 win. He’ll get a chance to build off that performance tonight against a potent Buffalo team, though its one missing several key weapons up front.

Buffalo is without injured forwards Tim Connolly, who leads the Sabres with 17-48-65 totals, Thomas Vanek (23-25-48), Raffi Torres (19-14-33) and Patrick Kaleta (10-5-15, 87 PIMs). Buffalo does still have Derek Roy (22-38-60), Jason Pominville (23-35-58)and Jochen Hecht (20-20-40) up front, rookie of the year candidate Tyler Myers (10-33-43) on defense and Olympic star Ryan Miller in goal. Miller leads the NHL with a .929 save percentage and trails only Rask in goals-against average at 2.21. Defenseman Chris Butler is the lone healthy scratch for Buffalo.

In the no news is good news department, Johnny Boychuk has not heard from the league for his hit to the head of Calgary’s Rene Bourque on Saturday. Boychuk received a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct, but appears to have escaped any suspension. He will be in the lineup tonight.

Matt Hunwick will also play again, as Andrew Ference remains sidelined with a groin injury/hernia. Marc Savard (concussion) obviously remains out as well, while Trent Whitfield and Brad Marchand are again healthy scratches.

Matchup: Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. (VERSUS; 98.5 FM)

Records: Boston 34-28-12, 80 points; Buffalo 41-23-10, 92 points

Past History: The Bruins won the first two meetings this season with a 4-2 victory at the Garden on Nov. 7 and a 2-1 overtime win in Buffalo on Nov. 20 on the strength of Patrice Bergeron’s OT winner. The Sabres countered with a 2-1 win of their own in Buffalo on Jan. 29, but Boston won 3-2 in a shootout in Buffalo on Feb. 9. Overall, Boston is 113-102-29-5 against the Sabres, including 68-40-14-1 at home.

Bruins Connections: Steve Montador was a trade deadline pickup last March from Anaheim, but signed with the Sabres in the offseason. In 70 games so far in Buffalo, he has 4-15-19 totals with 68 penalty minutes.

New England Ties: Former Boston University star Mike Grier (Holliston, Mass.) also signed with Buffalo over the summer. It’s Grier’s second stint with the Sabres, and he’s 10-11-21 in 65 games, but has just one goal in his last 28 games. Former Boston College star Nathan Gerbe was recalled yesterday from Portland (AHL), where he had 11-28-39 totals in 44 games.

Injury Update: The Sabres have been hit hard by injuries up front, with trade deadline pickup Raffi Torres (upper body) and agitator Patrick Kaleta (upper body) doubtful for tonight’s game and Tim Connolly (foot) and Thomas Vanek (lower body) both questionable. For the Bruins, Marc Savard remains out with a concussion and defenseman Andrew Ference is questionable with a groin/hernia problem.

Fight Card: There were three fights in the first meeting in Boston, with Shawn Thornton taking on both Montador and Paul Gaustad and Mark Stuart finding an unlikely opponent in Jochen Hecht, and two in the last meeting, with Thornton fighting Craig Rivet and Milan Lucic dropping the glove with Adam Mair. There were no fights in the other two games in Buffalo, which is more par for the course for the Sabres. Buffalo is 26^th in the league with just 25 fighting majors this year, though five of them have come against the Bruins so there is some possibility of fireworks in this one. Montador and Rivet lead the Sabres with six fighting majors each, while Gaustad and Kaleta each have four and Mair has three. The Bruins have had 47 fights, led by Thornton’s 21, including three bouts so far against the Sabres.

Matchup to Watch: Zdeno Chara vs. Tyler Myers. It’s another round in the battle of two of the biggest blueliners in the NHL. They’re also among the most talented. Bruins captain Chara tips the scales at 6-foot-9, 255 pounds, a few more if he holding his Norris Trophy from last year. Buffalo rookie Myers is still filling out his 6-foot-8, 222-pound frame, and may add a few pounds this June as he’s a frontrunner for the Calder Trophy. Myers has 10-33-43 totals and is a plus-11 in 74 games. He’s also had a goal and two assists in the four games against Boston this year and is 1-6-7 in his last seven games. Chara has also been better of late, as he’s a plus-8 in 13 games in March. Overall, his numbers are down from last year at 7-32-39 and plus-14 through 74 games, but he’s excelled against the Sabres. He’s had at least one point in all four games, with a goal and four assists.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Tuukka time or Miller time? – Tim Thomas posted a shutout Saturday in his first start since March 15, but rookie Tuukka Rask is likely to return to the net in this one. He’ll face a mighty task trying to match Olympic hero Ryan Miller. Rask enters the day with the best goals-against average in the league at 2.11. Miller is second at 2.21. The save percentage are reversed, with Miller leading at .929 and Rask second at .927. Sounds like this might be low-scoring one tonight.

2. Not another Roy – For years, the Bruins were tormented by a Roy who excelled at keeping the puck out of the net. Now they have to face another whose specialty is putting pucks in them. Derek Roy doesn’t quite have the Hall-of-Game resume that Patrick Roy did, but he does have 22-38-60 totals this year, including 17 points in 14 games this month. That includes a hat trick on Saturday against the Lightning. He also has burned the Bruins before, with 31 points in 38 career games against Boston.

3. Power surge – This is a matchup of two of the top three penalty killing units in the NHL. Buffalo is ranked third, allowing just 36 goals on 251 chances (85.7 percent). The Bruins have allowed 36 power-play goals as well, on 254 chances (85.8 percent). Facing those PKs are two rather mediocre power plays. Buffalo actually ranks one spot below Boston at 18^th (51-292, 17.5 percent), but Boston’s numbers (43-240, 17.9 percent) are deceiving. The Bruins were 1 for 24 after Savard went down, but finally broke through Saturday with three power-play goals in four opportunities. Can they sustain that production? They may have to in order to beat a deep and talented Buffalo team.

The Lowdown: The Bruins will look to build off Saturday’s rout of Calgary as they return to division play. Buffalo has already clinched a playoff spot, reaching the postseason for the first time in three years. The Sabres are five points ahead of Ottawa with two games in hand on the Senators in the race for the Northeast Division title, and they’ve won five of their last six, including a 7-1 thrashing of Tampa Bay on Saturday. The Bruins, meanwhile, are still locked in a battle for the final playoff spot, with Atlanta just two points back and the Rangers four points behind Boston. The Bruins do have a game in hand on both of them though, and they can still move up as well. Boston trails both Philadelphia and Montreal by just two points, with two games in hand on each club. One of those games in hand will be used up tonight. A Bruins win puts them in sixth. A loss leaves them in greater jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether.

Down on the Farm: Devin Timberlake scored in his first game with Providence and Andy Wozniewski had a goal and an assist, but the Baby B’s late-season swoon continued as they fell to Manchester 4-3 in overtime. Levi Nelson had the other goal and Dany Sabourin made 33 saves for Providence (33-35-5-1), which is now 10 points out of the final playoff spot in the East with just six games remaining.

Final: Boston 5, Calgary 0

The Bruins got a visit from injured center Marc Savard before the game, then turned in the best effort they’ve had since he was hurt. Boston ended an 0 for 22 streak on the power play with three goals on the man-advantage and Tim Thomas continued to dominate Canadian opponents as the Bruins moved into the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston is tied with Philadelphia, which lost to Pittsburgh 4-1, at 80 points, but the Bruins have a game in hand on the Flyers. They’re also just two points back of Montreal with two games in hand on the Habs, who lost to New Jersey 4-2. Atlanta did win as well to stay two points back of Boston and Philly, but the Bruins have a game in hand on them as well.

Records: Boston 34-28-12, 80 points; Calgary 37-29-9, 83 points

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Quality and quantity – After managing just three goals despite a season-high 50 shots on goal against Tampa on Thursday, the Bruins continued to throw plenty of pucks on the net, but this time they created more quality chances and actually converted them. The Bruins created traffic in front and pounced on rebounds, driving Miikka Kiprusoff from the game after scoring five goals on 29 shots, and finished with 35 shots on the day.

2.  Get Iggy with it – The Bruins kept Flames captain Jarome Iginla in check, as he managed just two shots and one hit and finished a minus-1 in 21:09. As is usually the case with Calgary, when Iginla struggles the whole team struggles, and no one in red turned in much of a game in this one.

3. Draw up a plan – The Bruins struggled on face-offs on Thursday, winning just 42 percent, which contributed greatly to their loss to Tampa. They turned that around against the Flames, winning 39 of 67 (58 percent). Patrice Bergeron bounced back from his 7-of-21 night on Thursday to win 16 of 28 today (57 percent), while Steve Begin won 7 of 11 (64 percent). But the real star was Vladimir Sobotka, who returned from a one-game absence with a mild concussion and won 10 of 11 face-offs (91 percent).

Key Play of the Game:

With Boston struggling so mightily on the power play since Savard went down, it was vital they converted early in this one. They did just that, scoring midway through their first chance late in the opening period for the game’s first goal. The newly revamped power-play unit of Bergeron moving up front with Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm and Dennis Seidenberg and Dennis Wideman at the points showed some instant chemistry. Seidenberg scored his first goal as a Bruin when he one-timed a blast from the blue line while Sturm provided the screen in front. With that, the floodgates opened, as Boston scored on its next two power plays as well, both by the other new unit of Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler and David Krejci up front with Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk at the points.

Fight Card:

There were plenty of scrums and minor dustups, but just one fight in this one. Down 4-0 in the third, Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr released some of his frustrations by taking a run at Shawn Thornton in front of the penalty boxes. That’s where they both ended up moments later, after trading some in-close punches, with Thornton landing the better shots before wrestling Regehr to the ice. “I just dumped the puck in, and I thought he tried to take a run at me,” explained Thornton of his 21^st fight of the season. “It’s four-nothing in our building. I’m not a big fan of people trying to take a run on anybody. I thought I’d try to squash it before that started, I guess, being the habit around the ice everywhere. That was it. I thought he was trying to take a run at me and I wasn’t a fan of that.”

Quote of the Night:

Seidenberg on the power play finally producing some goals:

“It was encouraging,” said Seidenberg. “Hopefully it’s not just a one-game thing. Hopefully we can keep it going and move the puck well. Keep getting pucks to the net. I think that’s the main thing.”

Flynn’s Finest:

Tim Thomas hadn’t started since March 15 in New Jersey, when he was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in one period. But he showed no signs of rust in this one, stopping all 31 shots he faced for his 17^th career shutout. Amazingly, 10 of those have come against Canadian-based teams, including five against Western Conference clubs Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver in just seven starts against those teams. … The power play had its best day in months, ending an 0 for 22 skid, scoring multiple power-play goals for the first time since Feb. 6 against Vancouver and netting three goals with the man-advantage for the first time since Dec. 23 against Atlanta. … David Krejci continues to elevate his game in Savard’s absence. He had a goal and an assist in this one, giving him 4-9-13 totals in the last nine games. He’s had six multi-point games in that span. … Mark Recchi also had a goal and an assist and drew the hooking call before Boston’s first power-play goal as he continues to defy the aging process, while Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist as well, as he also continues to help carry the offense with Savard out. … Marco Sturm and Milan Lucic each had an assist, but their biggest contributions came with providing some much needed net-front presence, as they each made key screens on Boston goals. Lucic also added a team-high four hits. … Dennis Seidenberg had his first goal as a Bruin to open the scoring, and also contributed two blocked shots and was a plus-1 in 23:23. … Zdeno Chara had a goal and an assist, along with four shots and two hits in a team-high 24:44, while Mark Stuart was a plus-1 with a team-high four blocked shots. … Vladimir Sobotka picked up where he left off before missing a game with a mild concussion, picking up a pair of hits and getting involved physically all game. He also dominated the face-off circle, winning 10 of 11 draws. … The power play stole the headlines, but the penalty kill was just as good, as the Bruins killed off all three Calgary power plays, including a five-minute major in the third. The Flames managed just four total shots with the man-advantage.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

There wasn’t much not to like about this one, but Johnny Boychuk was tossed in the third for a head shot on Rene Bourque. Boychuk was given a major for elbowing and a game misconduct, though replays showed it was more of a shot with the glove and forearm. Regardless, it was a blow to the head, and with the new rules in place, he could face additional discipline. … Losing Boychuk to a suspension would hurt the Bruins, as they are already without Andrew Ference, who was once again out with a groin injury just days after signing a lucrative three-year extension despite his chronic injury issues. … On a day when almost everyone got involved in the offense, Michael Ryder was completely invisible. He was one of only three Bruins without a shot on goal, and didn’t even attempt one in 10:04. Fortunately, he was finally removed from the power play, which no doubt helped that unit finally get going. … Matt Hunwick, back in the lineup with Ference out, and Daniel Paille were the only other Bruins without shots. Paille did have a clean breakaway, but sent his shot wide. … Usually don’t include opposing players in the breakdown, but have to make an exception for Craig Conroy, who committed back-to-back hooking calls that led to Bruins power-play goals, then had Bergeron’s shot deflect off him into his own net.

Next: The Bruins host Northeast Division-leading Buffalo on Monday.

BOSTON – Tim Thomas lived out a lifelong dream to play for Team USA last month in Vancouver, but it seems like it’s hearing O’ Canada that inspires him the most.

Thomas made 31 saves for the shutout today against Calgary. It was his 17^th career shutout, with 10 of those coming against the NHL’s six Canadian-based franchises. That’s 10 shutouts in 78 starts against Canadian teams, compared to just seven shutouts in 172 starts against American clubs.

“I didn’t even realize that,” said Thomas when told of that stat. “I think today was kind of its own circumstance. I just hadn’t played in a long time. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m playing a Canadian team, I really want to play well.’ It was more I just wanted to play well because I hadn’t played in a while.”

Thomas made his first start since March 15, when he was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in one period in New Jersey. This afternoon’s win was his fifth shutout of the year, and his first since blanking Ottawa on Dec. 21.

Thomas has been particularly impenetrable against the Western Canadian clubs, with five shutouts in seven career starts against Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

But Thomas didn’t draw his inspiration from playing against a Canadian team. Instead, he was pumped to play against one of his old rivals from his years in Finland.

“I don’t think like that,” said Thomas of getting inspiration whenever O’ Canada is played. “I did want to play well against (Miikka) Kiprusoff because I don’t get to play him very often. We played against each other in Finland. He beat me in the finals the second year. I beat (Vesa) Toskala two years in the playoffs over there, but I only played Kiprusoff once in the playoffs over there and they won.”

Thomas got some revenge today, as Kiprusoff was pulled in the third after allowing five goals on 29 shots. Toskala came and stopped all six shots he faced.

With the Bruins also having a Finn in goal on most nights with Tuukka Rask taking over the bulk of the netminding duties of late, Thomas could have felt out of place as the lone American netminder dressed today. But his time in Finland made it easy for him to fit in.

“I’m an honorary Finn,” said Thomas.

Just don’t expect him to achieve such status in Canada with the way he’s abused the clubs from north of the border.

Tim Thomas vs. Canada:

Vancouver 2 games, 2-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Edmonton 3 games, 3-0-0, 0.98 GAA, .968 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Calgary 2 games, 1-1-0, 1.50 GAA, .957 save percentage, 1 shutout

Ottawa 25 games, 16-7-2, 2.19 GAA, .932 save percentage, 4 shutouts

Toronto 22 games, 14-4-3, 2.98 GAA, .909 save percentage, 1 shutout

Montreal 25 games (24 starts), 8-13-3, 3.02 GAA, .906 save percentage, 0 shutouts

BOSTON – Johnny Boychuk might be an unlikely first test case for the NHL’s new head-shot rule.

Boychuk, who is a physical player but not known for delivering any dirty or borderline hits, was ejected at 7:21 of the third period of today’s 5-0 win over Calgary. Boychuk took exception to a hit behind the Bruins net from Flames forward Rene Bourque and responded with a high hit of his own in the corner as play continued.

Boychuk was given a five-minute major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct on the play. Bourque was shaken up and had to be helped to the bench, but returned several moments later and finished the game.

After the game, Boychuk felt the penalty was undeserved and denied catching Bourque with an elbow.

“Right before that, he kind of pushed my butt and I almost buckled myself into the boards,” said Boychuk. “I was just trying to hit him and I actually caught him with a glove to the face. I saw a replay and it wasn’t (an elbow).”

Boychuk also said he didn’t believe he would be suspended, despite the league’s implementing a new rule for supplemental discipline for head shots earlier this week.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Boychuk. “I was surprised I got five (minutes).”

Bruins coach Claude Julien also hopes that the hit doesn’t draw any further discipline, but he knows the league’s system of supplemental discipline is impossible to predict.

“I don’t know, a lot of times you think it’s going to be one way and the league sees it a different way,” said Julien. “From what I could see, and I know he ended up having his arms up, but from what I could see anyway it looked more like his forearm than anything else. They gave him an elbow, but I think at that time of the game and with the score they certainly didn’t want the game getting out of control. I hope that’s what it is and I hope that’s how everybody sees it because you know Johnny Boychuk, he certainly wasn’t going out there to try and injure a player. He just got his arms up and it ended up getting in his face.”

BOSTON — Greetings from the Garden, where Marc Savard addressed the media earlier this afternoon, and now the Bruins and Flames will do battle in a game with huge playoff implications for both sides.

Tim Thomas will get the start in goal for Boston, his first appearance since getting pulled in New Jersey on March 15. Miikka Kiprusoff will be in the Calgary net.

Vladimir Sobotka is back after missing one game with a mild concussion. Brad Marchand and Trent Whitfield are the healthy scratches up front. Matt Hunwick also returns on defense, as newly re-signed Anfrew Ference is once again out hurt, with what the Bruins will only reveal as “an injury.” Presumably it’s the same groin injury he has been dealing with and which will require surgery after the season.

Calgary has forwards Daymond Langkow, Curtis Glencross and Chris Higgins out injured, while enforcer Brian McGrattan and defenseman Adam Pardy are the healthy scratches.

Final: Boston 5, Calgary 0

All done at the Garden, as the Bruins bounce back in a big way to solidify their playoff chances, while dealing a crushing blow to Calgary’s fading hopes. Thomas gets the shutout with 31 saves.

18:16-3rd – Steve Begin hurt after face-off with Mikael Backlund in Boston zone; fell awkwardly after draw

12:21-3rd – Bruins survive the 5-minute major; Thomas making several big stops to preserve his shutout; Bourque has returned to action

7:21-3rd – Boychuk takes exception to a hit from Rene Bourque and goes back after him in corner, but comes in high with an elbow, decking Bourque and causing a huge scrum; Mark Giordano flies in from point and Sobotka is mixing it up as well; only penalties go to Boychuk though, who gets a 5-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct; Bourque is shaken up and helped off the ice. Thomas will have to work for this shutout now, while Boychuk could be facing further discipline with the new head shot rule.

5:51-3rd – Boston goal

This one is officially a rout, as Recchi bangs in a rebound at the left post to make it 5-0. Kiprusoff pulled after goal, allowing five goals on 29 shots. Vesa Toskala now in net for the Flames.

Recchi from Sturm, Bergeron (5:51-3rd); Boston, 5-0

5:03-3rd – Shawn Thornton and Robyn Regehr square off in the first fight of the day; Regehr takes exception to a Thornton hit in front of the enalty boxes and they grapple in close with each landing a few; Thornton had the better gauge on the range and landed better, then scored takedown; 5:00 each for fighting

4:24-3rd – Boston goal

Wideman pounces on a weak clearing attempt at right point, loses control but Bergeron grabs loose puck in corner and throws it out front, where it hits Calgary’s Conroy and goes in

Bergeron from Wideman (4:24-3rd); Boston, 4-0

0:50-3rd – Wild scramble in front of the Boston net with the Iginla line swarming, but Thomas keeps the puck out

End second – Boston, 3-0

- Bruins have put in 40 solid minutes so far, let’s see if they can get the rare 60-minute effort to close this one out

- Special teams the difference in this one, with Boston 3 for 4 on the power play and Calgary 0 for 2. Boston’s first multiple power-play goal game since Vancouver came to town on Feb. 6, and their first game with three power-play goals since Dec. 23 against Atlanta. It’s only the fourth time all yera they’ve had three or more in a game.

- Shots are even at 22-22 through two periods, but the Bruins have made theirs count. Thomas has made some nice saves to keep the Flames off the board.

18:28-2nd – Daniel Paille with the breakaway chance, but his shot goes wide right; he really is the new Axelsson

17:27-2nd – The magic ran out on that power play, as they Bruins fail to convert for the first time today and don’t even get a shot on goal

15:27-2nd – Robyn Regehr tries for some payback and plasters Mark Recchi along the boards, but gets called for roughing; Boston back on the power play.

14:56-2nd – Stuart lands a huge hit on Matt Stajan at the blue line

13:28-2nd – Another kill for the Bruins, with Calgary managing just one shot on the power play. Boston winning the special-teams battle big time today, which is the difference in the game.

11:28-2nd – Flames right back on the power play as Steve Begin is sent off for interference

11:05-2nd – Successful kill for Boston, which had the best chance when Sturm won race to a Wideman clear and had a chance from the left wing but shot wide

9:05-2nd – Now it’s the Bruins guilty of crashing the net too aggressively, as Wheeler goes off for goalie interference after crashing into Kiprusoff on a bid from the left side; 4-on-3 for 57 seconds

8:02-2nd – Matching minors as Boychuk gets called for holding Eric Nystrom, but Nystrom then crashes into Thomas for a goalie interference call; Boychuk and Nystrom nose-to-nose in ensuing scrum, but nothing further develops; 4 on 4 for the next two minutes

6:15-2nd – Boston goal

What has gotten into the Bruins. Another power-play goal; Boston, 1 for 24 without Savard coming in, is 3 for 3 today. This time Krejci leads the rush down the right wing and drops it back to Chara steaming down the middle. The captain unleashes a wicked wrister from between the circles to beat Kiprusoff.

Chara from Krejci, Lucic (6:15-2nd) pp; Boston, 3-0

4:34-2nd – Boston back on the power play once again, as Rene Bourque gets two for goalie interference after crashing into Thomas while cutting across the front of the net; Thomas was upended and his blocker went flying into the corner, but appears fine

1:29-2nd – Boston goal

The Bruins strike on the power play again, this time with Krejci taking a pass from Boychuk and firing in a shot from the top of the left circle as Boychuk drove to the net and Lucic also provided a screen in front.

Krejci from Boychuk, Chara (1:29-2nd) pp; Boston, 2-0

0:31-2nd – Another power play for Bruins, Conroy again off for hooking; interesting power-play unit to start, with Milan Lucic up front with David Krejci and Blake Wheeler, with Boychuk and Chara at the points

End first – Boston, 1-0

- Solid opening period for the Bruins, who even managed to get a goal on the power play

- After struggling on draws against Tampa, the Bruins are 13-7 (65 percent) so far today; Bergeron and Sobotka are each 5-1 to lead the way

- Boston with a 14-12 edge in shots, but most of those are coming from the perimeter, with nine shots from defensemen; Seidenberg and Stuart each have three so far

14:08-1st – Boston goal

Maybe the Bruins don’t need Savard actually on the power play; they just need him in the building. The Bruins finally strike with the man-advantage, as Dennis Seidenberg blasts in a one-timer from the blue line from Dennis Wideman with Marco Sturm providing the screen in front.That snaps a streak of 22 straight power plays without a goal for Boston.

Seidenberg from Wideman, Mark Recchi (14:08-1st) pp; Boston, 1-0

13:06-1st – Bruins get first power play of day after hooking call on Craig Conroy; B’s 1 for 24 on power play since Savard was hurt

5:45-1st – Mark Stuart jumps up into the attack, but his shot from the slot is stopped by Kiprusoff

5:09-1st – Thomas flashes the glove for teh first big stop of the day on Rene Bourque

0:41-1st – Shawn Thornton tries to set an early tone by challenging former Leaf Jamal Mayers, but Mayers has no interest in dropping the gloves