BOSTON -- The Bruins entered this season boasting about their depth on the front line and how they had at least three lines that could score nightly.

So it made no sense that removing just three players from that mix, regardless of their collective skill, would slow the Bruins' offense to US auto industry lows.

Finally tonight in a 4-2 victory over Buffalo at TD Garden, Boston's No. 1 line put together the sort of game worthy of that title. Mark Recchi scored a goal on the power play and Marco Sturm broke his personal goal drought with a momentum-changing score late in the second period.

For the night, Recchi, Sturm, and center Patrice Bergeron combined for one point and nine shots on net. Just as important, the Bruins' top trio managed to keep the Sabres' continually juggled top line at bay.

It was a welcome turnaround for a team that had lost three straight and managed just one goal over nine periods.

"We have responsibilities. We're playing against top lines and we've got to focus on that. And we also know we're the so-called 1A on the power play or whatever, and we feel responsible and we know we have to play the right way and do the right things," said Recchi. "And we've got to lead by example and we take pride in that, and we've got to just stay focused. This is a good start for tonight."

Only Recchi and Bergeron are actually part of that '1A' power-play unit that put Boston up 3:17 into the game on a Recchi tip of a Derek Morris shot. As important was Sturm's goal with just 1:29 left in the second period. Buffalo had cut the lead to 3-1 and was putting on some heat when Bergeron fended off a defender on his way to the goal line and fed the puck back to Sturm for a one-time from the left of the slot.

The goal snapped Sturm's slump at a career-worst-tying 12 games.

"I'm just happy it went in and hopefully I'm loosening up a little bit and hopefully [there will] be more," said Sturm, who now has three goals on the season -- the same as Recchi.

No knock on the likes of Vladimir Sobotka, Daniel Paille, and Steve Begin, but the only way the Bruins are going to win games right now is by riding their remaining stars with Marc Savard, Milan Lucic, and David Krejci on the sidelines. Heck, just scoring a goal was a big occasion this week. With the No. 1 line playing like a top line at both ends, everybody else was able to fall into place. Begin, Byron Bitz, and Shawn Thornton turned their body-banging into a goal. And the trio of Sobotka, Blake Wheeler, and Michael Ryder enjoyed some momentum-carrying chances throughout the night.

Everyone can share in the credit, but the majority of it goes to Bergeron's bunch.

"They're so good because you have to keep in mind who they're playing against, too. They're getting the No. 1 (lines) every night too. That's a task in itself," said Wheeler. "So they have to be so sharp at both ends of the ice, and you obviously love when they contribute goals offensively. But they're just as important at the other end of the ice keeping the other guys off the board.

"When they pop a couple in, start to feel good about themselves, that definitely helps our cause."

Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted