Pavel Zacha scores 38 seconds into OT to give the Bruins a 4-3 win over the Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Paval Zacha scored 38 seconds into overtime, David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and the Boston Bruins rallied for a 4-3 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Casey Mittelstadt scored with six minutes remaining to tie the game, and Viktor Arvidsson also scored. Boston bounced back from a 4-2 loss to Toronto a night earlier, and moved into a tie in points with Montreal for third in the Atlantic Division standings — and three points ahead of eighth-place Ottawa.

Joonas Korpisalo finished with 22 saves.

Jason Zucker scored twice and Zach Benson also scored for Buffalo, which is 12-1-2 in its past 15. The Sabres still earned a point to tie Carolina atop the Eastern Conference and move within 10 points of clinching their first playoff berth in 15 years.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves.

The Bruins won after both teams squandered one-goal leads in the third period.

Pastrnak set up the decisive goal by gaining the Buffalo zone and attracting three defenders. He then slipped a pass to Zacha, who snapped a shot from the left circle that beat Luukkonen through the legs.

Pasternak extended his point streak to 11 games in which he has seven goals and 18 points. He also reached the 90-point plateau for the fifth time in his career.

The Sabres appeared to take control when Benson and Zucker scored 31 seconds apart to go up 3-2 with 14:06 left in regulation.

Mittelstadt, however, scored while appearing in his 500th career game, and against his former team.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancee Carolina Matovac is back in Buffalo and attended her first Sabres game since she nearly died after her heart failed while the couple vacationed in France last summer. She spent much of the past seven months in Sweden recuperating from heart transplant surgery.

Bruins: Host Minnesota on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) reacts after being brought down during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) watches the puck in traffic during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (17) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson (71) ,center, celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

TORONTO (AP) — Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist, Joseph Woll made 40 saves and added an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Rangers 4-3 on Wednesday night, eliminating New York from playoff contention.

Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson and John Tavares had the other goals for Toronto and Matias Maccelli added two assists. Woll picked up the second assist on Joshua’s goal for his first NHL point.

Mika Zibanejad scored two goals and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, while Igor Shesterkin stopped 14 shots. Adam Fox chipped in two assists.

New York, which will finish below the postseason cutline for a second straight season, sits second-to-last in the overall standings. Toronto ranks 21st and is on the way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Tavares scored his 26th goal of the season at 11:57 of the third period to make it 4-2 when he ripped a shot past Shesterkin after Toronto had built a 3-0 lead in the second.

New York's Adam Sykora made his NHL debut after being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old winger, selected 63rd overall at the 2022 draft, had 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points across 62 games in the AHL this season.

Toronto's William Nylander is one point away from passing his father, Michael, for family bragging rights. The winger has 679 points in 741 regular-season games. The elder Nylander registered 679 points in 920 contests.

New York, which tied a dubious franchise record with just 10 shots in Monday’s 2-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators, directed 14 attempts on target in Wednesday’s opening period. The visitors had 17 more shots on Woll in the second.

Rangers: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Maple Leafs: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) hits the post on a goal attempt as New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) reacts during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicholas Robertson (89) drives the puck past New York Rangers defenceman Will Borgen (17) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Rangers defenceman Braden Schneider (4) blocks a shot on teammate Igor Shesterkin (31) as Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) gets checked by New York Rangers forward Tye Kartye (24) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, in Toronto, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) makes a save as teammate Troy Stecher (28) and New York Rangers forward Taylor Raddysh (14) look on during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)