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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BOSTON (AP) -- Buffalo's Martin Biron did his best Dominik Hasek
impersonation.
| | Bruins goalie Byron Dafoe stops Michal Grosek and everything else the Sabres would throw at him. |
Biron made 39 saves and recorded his third career shutout as the
Sabres and Boston Bruins skated to a 0-0 tie Thursday night.
"This has by far been his best performance of the year,"
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "Earlier in the season he was giving
up easy rebounds, but now he is sucking them up like a vacuum."
P.J. Axelsson's wrist shot from the slot with two minutes left
in overtime was Boston's best chance to win, but Biron made a glove
save.
"I tried to score five-hole, but he didn't leave much room to
shoot at," Axelsson said.
The Sabres and Bruins have been shut out a combined 11 times
this season.
The Bruins were not able to get the puck past Biron, who leads
all rookie goalies with 15 wins and 28 games played. Biron is
15-10-1 in place of Hasek, who has missed all but nine games this
season with a groin injury.
"That was our best effort of the season from a defensive
standpoint," said Bruins defenseman Kyle McLaren. "We gave Biron
a test, but a good goaltender is what you need to win hockey
games."
The Bruins have the third best power-play unit in the NHL, but
went 0-for-6 against Biron.
"When I'm on top of my game, the rebounds are always in my
reach," Biron said. "Our defense came to my aid tonight."
Jason Allison, Dave Andreychuk and Sergei Samsonov missed the
game for the Bruins, who have been decimated by injuries over the
last few weeks.
Seven of the 18 skaters the Bruins dressed were not on the
roster when the season began.
"With the lineup the Bruins had tonight, it was almost like a
preseason game," Sabres captain Mike Peca said.
Byron Dafoe, who made 23 saves, led the NHL in shutouts last season with 10, but has one of the NHL's five worst goals-against-averages for starting goalies.
Boston has won only three games since Thanksgiving, and have one
win in their last 14 home games, while Buffalo is 2-5-1 in its last eight.
Buffalo had allowed 21 goals in its last four games, while the
Bruins had surrendered 15 in their last three.
Miroslav Satan, the leading scorer for the Sabres, failed to
score a point for the first time in seven games and has six goals and seven assists during that span.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Buffalo Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Buffalo 0 Boston 0
Chicago 5 Detroit 3
Tampa Bay 4 NY Islanders 2
Vancouver 4 Nashville 3
Colorado 4 Pittsburgh 3
St. Louis 3 Los Angeles 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
Martin Biron makes the game-saving stop against Anson Carter.
avi: 706 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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