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Wilson Helps Sabres Cool Off Rask, Bruins In 4-2 Victory

BOSTON (AP) — Scott Wilson had a goal and an assist during Buffalo's big second period, helping the Sabres cool off Tuukka Rask and the Boston Bruins with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night.

Evander Kane and Benoit Pouliot also scored during the second and Rasmus Ristolainen added an empty-netter with 29 seconds remaining. Former Bruins goalie Chad Johnson made 25 saves.

The Sabres had lost four of five and entered with the NHL's second-fewest points.

Rask stopped 24 shots, but lost in regulation for the first time since Nov. 26. It snapped his career-best 21-game streak with at least a point (19-0-2), the fourth-longest in team history.

Ryan Spooner and David Backes accounted for Boston's goals. The Bruins failed to get a point for just the second time in 24 games (18-2-4).

Backes scored with 59 seconds left after Rask was replaced by an extra skater. But Ristolainen fired one nearly the length of the ice for his fifth of the season.

Buffalo star Jack Eichel left midway into the opening period, favoring his right knee after falling awkwardly on a check by Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk along the boards behind the Bruins' net.

Kane made it 1-0 when he broke in on a clean breakaway after Bruins forward David Pastrnak flubbed a pass near the right point and Sam Reinhart passed the puck to the winger. Kane fired a hard wrist shot that beat Rask on the glove side inside the right post 7:44 into the second.

Wilson made it 2-0 just over five minutes later when he collected a loose puck that was blocked by Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid and slipped a wrist shot into the net.

Spooner's goal sliced the lead in half before Pouliot one-timed Wilson's pass by Rask at the end of a 3-on-1 break with 71 seconds left in the second.

Rask made a pair of nice pad stops in a relatively quiet opening period. Boston's first shot on goal by a forward came in the final minute.

NOTES: Kane's goal snapped his 10-game scoreless stretch. ... Sabres C Jacob Josefson played his 300th NHL game. ... Bruins D Kevan Miller missed his fourth straight game because of an upper-body injury. ... The teams play again Feb. 25 in their final regular-season matchup.

UP NEXT

Sabres: Host Colorado on Sunday. They beat the Avalanche in the only other meeting this season.

Bruins: At New Jersey on Sunday. Boston won the first meeting, at home on Jan. 23.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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