Ex-Bruin Brad Boyes lifts Sabres to 4-3 win in OT

Former Bruin Brad Boyes notched the game-winning goal in overtime as Boyes and the Buffalo Sabres downed his former team 4-3 at TD Garden on Thursday night after the home team blew a 2-0 lead.

Nathan Horton's 19th goal of the season spotted the Bruins a 1-0 lead 8:54 into the game. Lucic break to the net with Horton to his left and sent a cross-crease pass to Horton at the door step. Horton had a lot of net to work with after Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller committed to Lucic.

Mark Recchi banged home a rebound from the top crease off of a Michael Ryder shot 11:26 into the second period to make it 2-0.

The Sabres answered right back 27 seconds later on a goal from Tyler Ennis. Steve Montador threaded a pass from the left wing to Ennis at the right post. Tim Thomas went down to the ice early and was pinned to the ice by his own defenseman Dennis Seidenberg while Ennis chipped the puck over the B's goalie.

Thomas Vanek knotted the game at 2-2 on a power play goal with 1:08 left in the second period.

Things started to get heated late in the second period, first Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves with Paul Gaustad in a long scrap that featured some wild swings. Then with just a few ticks left on the clock, a scrum ensued. After some pushing, face washes, and verball sparring, Milan Lucic and Cody McCormick paired off. Lucic unloaded on McCormick, threw him to the ice like a rag doll, pulled him back to his feet and continued the beating.

Gregory Campbell lifted the Bruins to 3-2 lead 2:18 into the third period when he found a loose puck in the slot and put it past Ryan Miller for his 10th goal of the season.

Buffalo tied it back up with a 5-on-3 goal at 5:05 of the third period. The puck bounced around like a pinball in front of the net and deflected in off of Zdeno Chara's skate. Tim Connollly was given credit for the third Buffalo goal.

After 60 minutes of hockey, an extra session was needed to settle this one. Rich Peverly had a great bid to put the game away just under 3 minutes into overtime, but clanged the puck off of the post. Brad Boyes was able to tip the puck in from the doorstep for the game-winner at 3:44 of OT. Tim Thomas made a stop on Nathan Gerbe's shot before Gerbe gathered his own rebound and chipped the puck past a diving Tim Thomas to Brad Boyes waiting at the right post.

Notes:

- I am not sure how Zdeno Chara was called for boarding when Montador hit the ice first and then slid about 8 feet before slowly bumping the boards and coming to a rest. Would that be a new reputation call?

- As most of my readers can attest, I very rarely complain about officiating, but this was a poorly officiated game.

- Tim Thomas made 41 saves in the loss.

- During the post game show on NESN, Mike Milbury coined the phrase Ference-itis to describe a player that should just keep his mouth shut. Mad Mike used it in reference to Joe Thornton's comments about the Bruins escaping disciplinary action.

- The Bruins power play continue to fail. After going 0 for 3 tonight, the B's have not scored a power play goal in 8 games and are 0 for their last 19 on the power play during that stretch.

- The Bruins will travel to Long Island to take on the Islanders at the Nassau Colliseum (or as Andy Gresh called it today on Gresh & Zo "the Nassau Mausoleum".

- For more on tonight's game, pop on over to Die By The Blade