Sabres top Bruins, end Rask's point streak

BOSTON -- The Buffalo Sabres ended Tuukka Rask's point streak at 21 games with a 4-2 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday.
Rask lost for the first time in nine starts and for the first time in regulation since Nov. 26. He made 24 saves.

"I think it was pretty obvious that that wasn't our best game, not the way we want to play," Rask said. "But those games happen."
WATCH: [All Sabres vs. Bruins highlights]
Ryan Spooner and David Backes scored for the Bruins (33-12-8), who lost for the second time in regulation in their past 24 games (18-2-4) and had their winning streak end at four games. Boston is five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand.
"I just thought we were cute tonight," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "And it was leading up to something and we have creative guys, but at some point you've got to get it there. It's got to get to the net with traffic. We just didn't do enough to earn our goals."
The Sabres won despite losing leading scorer Jack Eichel with 6:52 left in the first period because of an apparent lower-body injury. Coach Phil Housley said Eichel would be re-examined Sunday.

"I thought the guys made a terrific effort tonight, one of the best games I've seen us check with good sticks and coming back into our own zone," Housley said. "As a result, we got a lot of chances, a lot of looks, a lot of 2-on-1s and we cashed in on some. I thought everybody stepped their game up when Jack went down."
Scott Wilson had one goal and one assist, and Evander Kane, Benoit Pouliot and Rasmus Ristolainen scored for the Sabres (16-29-10), who have won four straight road games for the first time since the start of the 2011-12 season. Chad Johnson made 25 saves.
Kane scored his first goal in 15 games on a breakaway at 7:42 of the second period to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead. After Sam Reinhart intercepted David Pastrnak's pass at the Sabres blue line, he sent Kane in alone for a shot that beat Rask to the glove side.
Wilson made it 2-0 when he scored from the slot at 12:44. Nathan Beaulieu's wrist shot from the left point went off Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, but Wilson smacked the rebound past Rask.

Spooner cut the Sabres lead to 2-1 with a goal at 14:39 with a redirection of Jake DeBrusk's pass to the front.
Wilson set up Pouliot's goal on a 3-on-1 at 18:49 of the second to make it 3-1.
"I think just getting a little confidence; I think we lacked that for a long time," Wilson said. "And obviously getting this one tonight, it grows on you a little bit."
Backes scored during a 6-on-5 with Rask pulled for an extra skater at 19:01 of the third period before Ristolainen scored an empty-net goal at 19:31.

Goal of the game

Kane's goal at 7:42 of the second period.

Save of the game

Johnson's save against Zdeno Chara at 14:31 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Pouliot's goal at 18:49 of the second period.

They said it

"I don't know. I think the team, tonight we played a real solid game. I've felt good about my game all season; I just haven't gotten the results. I've been a part of some tough games and some tough teams that sort of exposed us a little more than we'd like to. I think it was just a good team effort tonight. I felt good, and I think a lot of guys stepped up and played really well in front of me." -- Sabres goalie Chad Johnson
"Things have gone well for us, so maybe our guys thought, 'Well, we'll tic-tac-toe around tonight.' It's just we needed a little more meat and potatoes." -- Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy

Need to know

Wilson has five points (two goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak on the road. ... Sabres forward Jacob Josefson played his 300th NHL game. ... Rask's 21-game point streak is the fourth-longest in Bruins history.

What's next

Sabres: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, ALT, NHL.TV
Bruins: At the New Jersey Devils on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+ 2, NESN, NHL.TV)