Bruins score 4 goals in 1st period, beat Sabres 5-1

Updated Nov. 24, 2021 9:59 p.m. ET
Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle each had a goal and an assist to lead the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Mike Reilly and Taylor Hall also scored, Nick Foligno had two assists and rookie Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves as Boston bounced back from a 4-0 loss to Calgary on Sunday for its fourth win in five games and third straight on the road.

The Bruins chased Sabres goalie Aaron Dell with four first-period goals on the 22 shots he faced. Dustin Tokarski stopped 24 of 25 shots.

Kyle Okposo scored for the Sabres, who lost their fourth in a row and are 2-8-1 following a 5-1-1 start.

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The Bruins scored four times in 5:41 during the opening period and had a 22-8 edge in shots on goal.

Bergeron and Coyle scored on wrist shots 51 seconds apart to give Boston a 2-1 lead.

Pastrnak drew a hooking penalty on Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, and Charlie McAvoy fed Pastrnak for a power-play goal less than three minutes after Coyle put the Bruins ahead.

Reilly made it 4-1 with a minute left in the first when he scored on a rebound that rolled between the dropped sticks of Buffalo’s Colin Miller and Vinnie Hinostroza.

Hall got the fifth goal on a power play late in the third period after Buffalo’s Zemgus Girgensons received a five-minute game-misconduct penalty for checking McAvoy from behind and driving him headfirst into the boards.

Buffalo briefly led after Okposo used Bergeron as a screen to beat Swayman with a wrist shot midway through the period. Bergeron tied the score with his seventh of the season 2:33 later.

Swayman made 14 saves in the second, including one on a penalty shot by John Hayden.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Bruins: Changed plans in the crease after scheduled starter Linus Ullmark “tweaked something” during Wednesday’s morning skate, coach Bruce Cassidy said. … F Trent Frederic (upper body) skated before sitting out his sixth straight game, but Cassidy said he could return “later in the week.”

Sabres: F Casey Mittelstadt skated wearing a non-contact jersey, his first practice since getting hurt in the Oct. 14 season opener.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Host the New York Rangers on Friday in the NHL's Thanksgiving Showdown.

Sabres: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night.

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