Spooner Leads Bruins To 4-1 Win Over Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Center Ryan Spooner had a goal and two assists to lead the Boston Bruins to a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Defenseman Zdeno Chara, right winger Brett Connolly and left winger Matt Beleskey also scored for the Bruins (22-16-5), who ended a three-game losing streak. Goalie Jonas Gustavsson made 33 saves.

Center David Legwand scored for the Sabres (17-23-4). Goalie Robin Lehner had 26 saves in his return to the lineup. It was Lehner's first game in net since suffering a high ankle sprain in Buffalo's season opener.

Legwand opened the scoring with 5:23 remaining in the first period. The fourth-liner scored on a wraparound to end a goal drought that lasted 20 games.

Beleskey evened the score 1:01 into the second period on a rebound. After Lehner stopped a shot from Spooner from close range, Beleskey pounced on the rebound and flung a hard shot into the top of the net for his eighth goal of the season.

The Sabres squandered an excellent chance to jump ahead in the second period when the Bruins took three consecutive penalties in a 4:32 span, but Buffalo was unable to score with the man advantage.

Chara gave Boston a 2-1 lead 29 seconds into the third period after a faceoff in the Buffalo end. The Bruins captain lifted a high wrist shot from the blue line through traffic, ending a goal drought that lasted 18 games. It was his sixth goal of the year.

Spooner made it 3-1 with 9:07 remaining. The Bruins center spun along the right wall and fired the puck toward the net, which found its way past Lehner with traffic in front.

Connolly added an empty-net goal with 1:09 remaining.

Sabres left winger Zemgus Girgensons left the game midway through the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return.

NOTES: Sabres D Mark Pysyk and D Carlo Colaiacovo were scratched. D Joe Morrow, RW Tyler Randall and RW David Pastrnak were scratched for the Bruins. ... With Sabres G Robin Lehner returning from a high ankle sprain, G Linus Ullmark was sent back to Rochester of the AHL on Thursday. The 22-year-old went 7-10-2 with the Sabres, posting a .915 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. ... This was the second of four meetings between the Sabres and Bruins this season. The next meeting takes place on Feb. 4 in Buffalo.