Bruins knot series at 1-1 after 5-3 win over Buffalo in Game 2

With the series knotted up at one game apiece, the Bruins and Sabres will take the series to Boston after the B's downed the Sabres 5-3 on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo. Michael Ryder and Zdeno Chara each found the back of the net twice for the B's, while Mark Recchi added a empty-netter in the final minute to seal the win for the Bruins.

The Sabres got on the board 2:55 into the game on Tyler Myers' first career playoff goal. Milan Lucic cheated in towards the slot, leaving Myers wide open at the right point. Myers' shot deflected off Steve Begin, who was trying block the shot and made its way past Tuukka Rask for an early 1-0 Buffalo lead. Henrik Tallinder and Thomas Vanek picked up helpers on the goal.

The Sabres extended their lead to 2-0 on a backhander from Matt Ellis from the right circle with 8:00 left in the first period. Patrick Kaleta carried the puck in along the right wing boards and passed the puck up to Ellis, who fired a backhander that deflected off the far post and in.

The Bruins got on the board 2:35 into the second period. Adam McQuaid kept the puck in at the blue line and dumped the puck deep into the offensive zone, where Blake Wheeler picked it up below the goal line and fed a pass out front into the slot for the Vladimir Sobotka. Sobotka fired a shot on net that Ryan Miller got a piece of, but the puck bounced over him and Michael Ryder batted the puck out of the air into the back of the net to make it 2-1.

Zdeno Chara hammered home a shot from the left circle at 9:54 of the second period to tie the game at 2-2. Patrice Bergeron made a nice tip pass to Chara off of Boychuk's misfired shot.

The Sabres took advantage of a bad give away by Milan Lucic to make it 3-2 at 16:41 of the second period. Lucic tried to retrieve the puck down near the goal line, but couldn't control the puck. Tyler Ennis gathered the puck below the goal line and slid a pass into the slot for Jason Pominville, who was all alone driving to the net after he blew past Dennis Wideman.

Michael Ryder tied it up at 3-3 with his second goal of the game at 5:23 of the third period. Ryder carried the puck in on the left wing and made a cross-ice pass to Blake Wheeler. Ryder continued to the net and went to the left post. Wheeler tried to feed a pass in front for Andrew Ference, who could not control the puck, but Ryder was there to deposit the puck into the net.

Zdeno Chara's second goal of the day made it 4-3 Bruins just two minutes later. Chara threw a floating wrister from along the left wing boards on the blue line that deflected off the stick of a Buffalo Sabre and past Ryan Miller up high on the stick side while David Krejci provided a great screen in front of the Buffalo netminder.

Mark Recchi added an empty netter with 20 seconds left in the game after swiping the puck from Toni Lydman to seal the win for the Bruins and account for the 5-3 final score.

Notes:

- The Bruins wingers can't leave the points wide open like Milan Lucic did on the first goal, especially with a guy like Tyler Myers.

- Buffalo sniper Thomas Vanek left the game in the first period with an apparent lower body injury after falling awkardly after being hooked by Johnny Boychuk and did not return.

- Tyler Myers and Matt Ellis both scored their first career playoff goal.

- The injury to Vanek seemed like a major momentum changer in this game.

- It was not a great game for Milan Lucic, especially in his own zone. Defensive lapses by Lucic lead directly to both the first and third Buffalo goals.

- Vladimir Sobotka recorded 9 hits.

- Michael Ryder certainly made the most out of his 11:46 of ice time.

- The Bruins out-hit the Sabres 51-48.

- Andrej Sekera was the only Sabre not to record a hit.

- Game 3 is Monday night in Boston.

- Now might be a good time to order your "Boston is a Hockey Town Again!" t-shirts

Tweet of the Game:

@HackswithHaggs Derek Roy should definitely be on the Montreal Canadiens rather than the Buffalo Sabres. He's got Habs written all over him.