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MacArthur nets overtime winner as Sabres top Bruins

Nov 8, 2007 - 4:33 AM BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- Clarke MacArthur made quite the impression on Wednesday.

Recalled from American Hockey League affiliate Rochester earlier in the day, MacArthur scored with 1:44 remaining in overtime as the Buffalo Sabres edged the Boston Bruins, 2-1, in a battle of Northeast Division rivals.

Drew Stafford fed MacArthur in the slot, and the 22-year-old blasted the puck over goaltender Tim Thomas' right shoulder for the winner.

The goal was the first of the season and fourth career for MacArthur, who helped Buffalo snap a three-game skid while extending Boston's winless streak to three games.

"I was caught off-guard," MacArthur said. "(Stafford) makes nice plays like that and he saw me in the slot. Give him the credit."

"I got a decent look at it," Thomas said. "It was kind of half snap shot, half slap shot. It knuckle-curved on me."

The Bruins fell to 1-1-2 after the fourth of nine consecutive games against division rivals. Boston defeated Buffalo, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday to begin the stretch.

"I can't believe these last three games," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "It's frustrating to see how hard it is to get a break."

The Bruins have lost eight of their last nine games in Buffalo, with the only victory coming in a shootout last season.

"This was something we needed," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "We've been in games and failed the test. We were able to muscle our way through."

Marc Savard opened the scoring with just over eight minutes expired in the first period.

Stationed behind the net, Savard fed Glen Murray in the slot, but the veteran right wing's shot ricocheted off defenseman Andrej Sekera back to Savard, who had moved just inside the left faceoff circle. The 30-year-old center wristed the puck past out-of-position netminder Ryan Miller for his third goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.

Savard had a goal and an assist in the teams' previous meeting.

Ales Kotalik tied the game with 4:10 remaining in the second period.

With Buffalo on the power play, Maxim Afinogenov fed Kotalik in the high slot with a crisp pass. Kotalik's one-timer beat Thomas, who was screened by Thomas Vanek, to even the game at 1-1.

The goal, Kotalik's third of the season, was Buffalo's first in 99 minutes, 13 seconds of play, dating to the latter stages of the third period against Florida on Friday. The Sabres were shut out at Montreal on Monday.

"The league is kind of shifting," Miller said. "It's two years of teams watching systems that are very similar to ours, where teams are responsible but skate hard. It's frustrating for us to play against."

"We're dictating play and creating opportunities," Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward said. "We're snakebitten. It'll get better."

Thomas made 27 saves for Boston, while Miller stopped 25 shots for Buffalo.