BUFFALO, N.Y., March 1 (UPI) -- With fellow defensemen Richard Smehlik and Jay McKee sidelined with injuries, Rhett Warrener took advantage of increased ice time Friday night to score the go-ahead goal late in the third period and give the Buffalo Sabres a 4-3 triumph over the Boston Bruins.
Smehlik left the game with a shoulder injury and McKee took a puck in the face early in the third period, forcing Buffalo to rotate four defensemen over the final 13 minutes. Despite logging more than 25 minutes, Warrener had enough to join a rush and score his fifth goal of the season.
With 3:36 left in a 3-3 contest, Maxim Afinogenev left a drop pass for Warrener, who rifled a slap shot on net. The puck hit the butt of Boston defenseman Sean O'Donnell's stick and bounced through the pads of stunned goaltender Byron Dafoe.
Curtis Brown had tied the game for Buffalo just over eight minutes into the third period. Brown had his first multi-goal game since Dec. 26 against Montreal.
Sergei Samsonov scored twice for the Bruins, who had been 2
1 in their previous three games with the Sabres.
