Boston notches a 3-1 victory over Buffalo.
BOSTON, MA. — Tuukka Rask made 26 saves to help the Boston Bruins complete their first-ever season-series sweep of the Buffalo Sabres with a 3-1 win at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon.
Frank Vatrano, Patrice Bergeron, and Tim Schaller scored for the Bruins (20-15-4), who went 4-0-0 against the Sabres (13-15-8). Buffalo was the last team Boston had not swept.
Schaller, a former Sabre and Rochester American, added insult to injury by scoring Boston’s third goal in the second period.
Jack Eichel made the most of playing in Boston as he put the Sabres on the scoreboard in the final minute of the second stanza. Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart picked up assists on the goal.
The Bruins, who defeated the Sabres 4-2 at KeyBank Center on Thursday, have won consecutive games for the first time since they won three straight Dec. 1-5. The Bruins also scored first for the first time in three games.
“It’s something that we’ve talked about. We obviously want to improve and we want to get that first goal more often instead of battling back from two or three goals,” Rask said. “I thought we came out really strong today like we wanted to. We put pucks in deep and went to work there. It paid off, so it’s something we have to build on.”
Eichel scored his seventh goal and Robin Lehner made 25 saves for the Sabres, who have won just once in their past seven games (1-4-2).
“We’re shocked. Of course we’re angry. We’re disappointed,” Lehner said. “We expect more. It feels like we’re chasing it out there. It takes a lot of energy for us out there to get something going. It doesn’t seem to take a lot for opponents, 2-on-1s, 3-on-2s, quality chances.”
Eichel made it 3-1 with 21.2 seconds remaining in the second.
Buffalo continues its road trip to New York on Tuesday night as the Sabres square off against the Rangers.