NHL

• Bruins continue road trip versus Sabres

  
  

  (Sports Network) - After starting their four-game road trip on a positive note, the Boston Bruins will try to continue heading in the right direction when they visit the Buffalo Sabres for tonight's Northeast Division clash at HSBC Arena.

  The Bruins had dropped three straight games before picking up a close win Thursday evening in Atlanta. Boston, which was the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference last year, is now third in the Northeast and three points behind the division-leading Sabres. Not bad considering the Bruins have just three wins (3-3-3) in nine games this month.

  Patrice Bergeron got the lone goal of the shootout, and Tuukka Rask produced a solid effort with 32 saves, as Boston got by a hot Atlanta Thrashers club, 4-3, at Philips Arena.

  Michael Ryder scored twice in regulation for the Bruins, who snapped Atlanta's four-game winning streak. Marco Sturm also scored, and Dennis Wideman notched two assists.

  "That is what means the most (about the win), we lost several games in the shootout and overtime in the past weeks so we wanted to make sure that didn't happen again," said Rask.

  In addition to the win, the Bruins also had forward Milan Lucic back on the ice for the first time since mid-October. Lucic missed 14 games with a broken finger. Boston is now awaiting the return of forward Marc Savard, who has missed the last 14 games with a broken left foot. Savard has been practicing with the club, but isn't likely to play tonight.

  Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas missed Thursday's test with what is being called a minor undisclosed injury. Boston head coach Claude Julien has not ruled out Thomas getting the start in tonight's contest.

  Boston is 3-3-2 as the guest this year and had lost three in a row on the road prior to Thursday's victory against the Thrashers.

  The Sabres, meanwhile, had a three-game winning streak halted their last time out, as they were dealt a lopsided loss Wednesday by visiting Florida. Michael Frolik netted a pair of scores as the Panthers used a four-goal third period to down Buffalo, 6-2, at HSBC Arena.

  Drew Stafford and Clarke MacArthur tallied for the Sabres, while Ryan Miller was tagged for a season-high five goals on 23 shots in the loss.

  Buffalo winger Mike Grier missed his third straight game with a strained groin and is also questionable for tonight's game.

  The first-place Sabres are 7-3-1 as the host this year and are capping a brief two-game homestand tonight. Buffalo will play its next three tests on the road, beginning with Saturday's stop in Ottawa.

  Boston notched a 4-2 home win over the Sabres when the clubs met for the first of six encounters this season on November 7. Buffalo has still taken three of four and six of the last nine matchups overall and the Bruins have lost four in a row and six of eight in western New York.

  11/20 10:52:17 ET