BOSTON — After Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres pulled out a comeback win over the Bruins, they had one last gesture to mark the significance of Boston's first pro game since the marathon bombings. Players from both teams gathered at center ice and raised their sticks in a salute to the city and fans who had shouted, “We are Boston” and “USA, USA,” during the game. The Bruins had suggested the gesture to the Sabres before Buffalo's 3-2 shootout win Wednesday. Drew Stafford scored the only shootout goal after Cody Hodgson tipped in Thomas Vanek's pass on a power play to tie the game with 26.6 seconds left in regulation. The Bruins still clinched a playoff berth by gaining one point. They are tied in points with Montreal atop the Northeast Division, but have one game in hand on the Canadiens. Both teams trail Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh by nine points. There was a pregame period of silence and a slideshow of scenes from the Boston Marathon in which three people died and more than 170 were wounded when two bombs went off near the finish line Monday. Veteran Bruins anthem singer Rene Rancourt sang the first few words then went silent and directed the fans in a full-throated rendition. Penguins 6, Canadiens 4: Brenden Morrow scored two goals for the second straight game and Pittsburgh beat Montreal to move closer to clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Penguins lead the Canadiens by nine points in the fight for the top seed. Both teams have five games remaining. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots, and Pittsburgh dominated in racing to a quick 4-0 lead. Brian Gionta, Alex Galchenyuk, Gabriel Dumont and Andrei Markov scored for the reeling Canadiens, who have lost three straight. Peter Budaj started in goal but was pulled after stopping just six of the nine shots he faced in the first period. Carey Price relieved and allowed three goals on 20 shots, absorbing the loss. Blue Jackets 3, Ducks 2 OT: Fedor Tyutin scored 2:19 into overtime, and Columbus won its fifth straight game and moved into eighth place in the Western Conference with a victory over Anaheim. Blake Comeau and Matt Calvert also scored for the Blue Jackets, who rallied to win and jumped two points ahead of Detroit. Columbus moved within one point of seventh-place St. Louis, which has two games in hand. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves. Flames 3, Red Wings 2: Steve Begin scored two goals in the third period, and Calgary held on to hand playoff-hopeful Detroit a one-goal loss. Begin took advantage of a pair of blunders by goalie Jimmy Howard to score his third and fourth goals of the season. Lee Stempniak also scored for the Flames (17-22-4), who won all three games against the Red Wings this season. — Agencies
