Pavel Zacha scores 38 seconds into OT to give the Bruins a 4-3 win over the Sabres

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Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson (71) ,center, celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (17) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) — Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson (71) ,center, celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

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10:39 PM on Wednesday, March 25

By JOHN WAWROW

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Paval Zacha scored 38 seconds into overtime, David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and the Boston Bruins rallied for a 4-3 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Casey Mittelstadt scored with six minutes remaining to tie the game, and Viktor Arvidsson also scored. Boston bounced back from a 4-2 loss to Toronto a night earlier, and moved into a tie in points with Montreal for third in the Atlantic Division standings — and three points ahead of eighth-place Ottawa.

Joonas Korpisalo finished with 22 saves.

Jason Zucker scored twice and Zach Benson also scored for Buffalo, which is 12-1-2 in its past 15. The Sabres still earned a point to tie Carolina atop the Eastern Conference and move within 10 points of clinching their first playoff berth in 15 years.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves.

The Bruins won after both teams squandered one-goal leads in the third period.

Pastrnak set up the decisive goal by gaining the Buffalo zone and attracting three defenders. He then slipped a pass to Zacha, who snapped a shot from the left circle that beat Luukkonen through the legs.

Pasternak extended his point streak to 11 games in which he has seven goals and 18 points. He also reached the 90-point plateau for the fifth time in his career.

The Sabres appeared to take control when Benson and Zucker scored 31 seconds apart to go up 3-2 with 14:06 left in regulation.

Mittelstadt, however, scored while appearing in his 500th career game, and against his former team.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancee Carolina Matovac is back in Buffalo and attended her first Sabres game since she nearly died after her heart failed while the couple vacationed in France last summer. She spent much of the past seven months in Sweden recuperating from heart transplant surgery.

Up next

Bruins: Host Minnesota on Saturday.

Sabres: Host Detroit on Friday night. ___

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