Bruins break out to big lead, down Sabres, 5-2

In Buffalo,the visiting Boston Bruins scored five straight goals through the second period on Tuesday night in a 5-2 over th3 Sabres.

David Pastrnak hit for a goal and three points in the win.

“Great first period,” Pastrnak said. “It’s always nice to get the lead early, especially on the road. I think the first period kind of set the game up. Obviously, it wasn’t a great game for us overall, there were mistakes, but most importantly, we got the goals and we got the saves and we got the [win].”

Linus Ullmark made 32 saves in the win.

Boston improved to 12-1-2.

“It’s what everybody strives for,” Ullmark said . “You want to be in a winning culture, you want to create a winning culture and you want to carry on that winning culture. And Boston has been so good through many years of doing that and now, we’ve got to pick up the torch and keep the flame burning as bright as it has been.”

The Bruins broke the game open in the first period with three goals.

Danton Heinen got the offense going with three minutes gone in the game for a 1-0 lead.

Pastrnak struck a minute later for a 2-0 advantage.

They were sharper, obviously, than we were,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “We had chances (outshot Boston 34-32). They were sharper. We need to look in the mirror on that, and I know we will. We generated looks that could have been converted with a little bit more. That is not good enough.

“You talk about the night being [Kyle] Okposo’s 1,000th game, I know our group and I know they’ll be extremely disappointed and down as a result, and they will look in the mirror.”

Brandon Carlo scored off a break out at 15:4 for a 3-0 lead to the Bruins headed to the middle frame/

“He makes people around him better,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said of Pastrnak, who ranks second in the NHL with 24 points in 15 games. “As good a goal-scorer he is, he’s as equal passer, and the way he competes as a leader on our team and our most skilled player, it shows everybody that you have to work to have success.”

Oskar Steen ballooned the lead to 4-0 at 4:07 of the middle frame.

Hampus Lindholm stretched the advantage to 5-0 at 12:28 of the second.

Victor Olofsson was the lone goal scorer for the Sabres, his second period goal stopped the Bruins run at five to make it 5-1.

He scored a double in the third for the 5-2 final score.

“I feel like I just kind of attacked a little bit more,” Olofsson said. “I kind of searched those pucks around the net. I’m not just looking for open ice. I tried to just go to the net and had a lucky bounce there, the first one. And then the second one, JJ [Peterka] found me with a great pass.”

The Sabres dropped to 7-8-1.

“They were sharper, obviously, than we were,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “We had chances (outshot Boston 34-32). They were sharper. We need to look in the mirror on that, and I know we will. We generated looks that could have been converted with a little bit more. That is not good enough.

“You talk about the night being [Kyle] Okposo’s 1,000th game, I know our group and I know they’ll be extremely disappointed and down as a result, and they will look in the mirror.”