Bruins blow leads, lose in shootout

Buffalo Sabres winger Drew Stafford, right, reacts after scoring on Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas during the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y. on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. Buffalo won 7-6. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

Saturday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres was one of those games where pucks were going in the net from everywhere as at the end of regulation it was 6-6. The game would go to a shootout and the Sabres would win it 7-6. The ice seemed to be not in great shape due to the World Junior Championships games that are going on in Buffalo.

It was a wild game and here's how it got to 6-6. The first period would end 4-3 Boston. Andrew Ference scored his 2nd goal of the season, Dennis Seidenberg scored his 2nd goal of the season, Brad Marchand scored his 6th goal of the season, and Zdeno Chara scored a shorthanded goal (his 5th goal of the season).

Tuukka Rask started the game but Tim Thomas replaced him at the start of the second period. Rask made 13 saves on 16 shots. The second period would end with the Sabres up 5-4.

The third period ended 6-6 with the Sabres scoring in the final minute to tie the game up. Tyler Seguin (6th goal) and Steve Kampfer (2nd goal) scored in the period for the Bruins.

Nobody scored in overtime so it went to another shootout for the Bruins. Drew Stafford scored on Thomas going 5-hole. Michael Ryder somehow managed to get a puck between Ryan Miller's right armpit area. Bruins killer Thomas Vanek took a quick slap shot that went short side and by Thomas into the net. Seguin did his fake and go to the backhand move and scored. Tyler Ennis undressed Thomas and scored. Chara faked a big slap shot and tried to take a wrist shot but shot it wide.

This was another game I felt the physical game for the Bruins was not there. The Sabres played somewhat physical, they certainly outhit the Bruins. Claude Julien again shook up the lines a little during the game. I did see a shift where Seguin was on a line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton, which I've been wanting to see for a little while now to see how they played. The first line of Marc Savard (-2), Lucic (-1), and Horton (-1) didn't seem to do much at all. Gregory Campbell was again a scratch as he is still sick with the flu.

Tim Thomas made 16 saves on 19 shots. Thomas looks like he needs a rest, especially from shootouts. Thomas is now 18-4-5 with a 1.80 GAA and a .945 save percentage. Rask's record stays at 2-7-1 with a 2.79 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

The Bruins next game is on Monday at Toronto.

Some notes from the game:
Stafford is now officially another Bruins killer on the Sabres besides Vanek. He had a hat trick in this game just as he did in the last game against the Bruins.

Paul Gaustad had a knee-on-knee collision with Blake Wheeler in the first period. I don't know if Gaustad did that intentionally or not. There was no penalty on the play. I don't believe Wheeler missed a shift in the period due to that hit.

Johnny Boychuk blocked a shot in the first period and went to the dressing room. He came back and played.

Adam McQuaid and Cody McCormick had an uneventful fight with not many punches thrown as McCormick had McQuaid tied up good.

Seguin only had 11:16 of ice time and he was one of better playing Bruins with a goal and an assist. I think you have to give him more ice time.

Another game with some questionable calls and non-calls. Especially the Thomas Vanek goal in the first period as he tripped Ference, as he went to the net, basically having a breakaway, and deked Rask to score. In the third period, Boychuk was called for tripping as Vanek skated into Boychuk's stick and easily went down aka dived. I guess with Derek Roy out, someone has to pick up the diving slack.