[ Game summary ]

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 3/2/2002

UFFALO - In most instances, say 99 out of 100, the shot would've been blocked and knocked harmlessly away. In most instances, it wouldn't have made it through to the goaltender and if it did, it wouldn't have gotten through the last line of defense.

But last night wasn't most instances. Some games, the puck just bounces the wrong way as the Bruins found out in a 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena.

The winner came with 3:36 left in regulation. Defenseman Rhett Warrener fired the puck from the right side but didn't get a lot on it. Defenseman Sean O'Donnell was in front of goaltender Byron Dafoe and tried to direct it away from the net. Instead, the puck bounced off his stick and changed direction before going between the pads of Dafoe.

''I just went over right away and apologized to Byron,'' said O'Donnell. ''I saw Warrener coming in and I was backing up and I didn't know what was going on behind me. It turns out Byron was all by himself and he would've just kicked it off in the corner but I didn't know that. I don't know if it was a pass or a shot but it wasn't coming very hard and I thought I could just take it and rush it out of danger. But it bounced off my stick and Byron was playing it and his legs were open and it was just a bad play on my part. It was just unfortunate.''

Buffalo had some good luck but the Sabres created a lot of it, too, by putting the puck on net all game, which was their plan. The Bruins equalled the Sabres in shots with 32 but Buffalo was able to create traffic in front of Dafoe in addition to taking advantage of fortuitous caroms.

The Bruins dropped their second in a row, losing consecutive contests for the first time since Jan. 23-24 and it was their first loss here since March 8, 2000. In the three games since the end of the Olympic break, the Bruins are winless (0-2-1).

''I think we're still a little sloppy,'' said Brian Rolston, who absorbed extra ice time because of the absence of Joe Thornton, who was hit with a three-game suspension by the NHL yesterday for cross-checking Carolina forward Rod Brind'Amour in the face. ''I don't think we're playing as well as we were before the break. But it's the first three games and in the big picture, I think we're going to be fine.''

The Sabres carried the play in the opening period, outshooting the Bruins, 15-8, with center Stu Barnes contributing six to the total.

Curtis Brown got Buffalo on the board at 13:07 with his 14th tally of the season. The Bruins rallied to tie midway through the middle period, taking advantage of a miscue.

Buffalo goaltender Martin Biron went behind the net to play a loose puck and put it up the right-wing boards. But Mike Knuble intercepted and with Biron scrambling to get back in position, gunned it at the net for his seventh goal of the year and first in seven games.

Sergei Samsonov took advantage of a pinballing puck, picked it up in the slot and fired it past Biron at 10:18 for the 2-1 lead.

But it lasted for only 25 seconds into the third when Maxim Afinogenov took advantage of another lucky bounce. Dafoe made the initial save but the puck went off defenseman Gord Murphy's skate, tying it at 2-2.

Less than a minute later, though, the Bruins regained the lead when Samsonov buried his second of the night and 24th of the season. After defenseman Alexei Zhitnik gave the puck away, Jozef Stumpel found Samsonov and he beat Biron at 1:24.

With the teams skating four a side, the Sabres came calling again. It was Brown redux, who converted on a terrific effort. He got the puck as the Buffalo blue line and skated through center. He gained the Boston blue line and darted down the right side. He was able to elude defenseman Jarno Kultanen in the left circle and fired a shot on Dafoe. Dafoe attempted to stack his pads but it bounced off and went over him and into the cage. Once again, it was all even.

Then Warrener ended it.

''In the third period, I think the hockey gods definitely weren't with us,'' said Dafoe.

The Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers come to the FleetCenter Monday.

''It doesn't get any easier,'' said O'Donnell. ''We just have to look ahead to that one.''

This story ran on page G1 of the Boston Globe on 3/2/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.