BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – The Boston Bruins won their fifth straight game, 6-2 over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, as Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist.

Thornton registered his 400th career point with an assist on Mark Knuble’s first-period goal, which tied the game at 1.

P.J. Axelsson had a goal and two assists, while Martin Lapointe, Glen Murray and Nick Boynton also scored for Boston. Andrew Raycroft stopped 26 shots for the surging Bruins (13-3-2 in their last 18 games).

Murray extended his points streak to eight games, in which he has 10 goals and two assists.

Andy Delmore and Chris Drury scored for the Sabres, who had a season-high four-game winning streak snapped. Buffalo also lost for only the second time at home – both against Boston – in its last 11 games (7-2-2).

After Delmore and Knuble traded first-period goals, Thornton put the Bruins ahead for good with a strong individual effort 1:25 into the second period.

Pouncing on a Sabres turnover at the Boston blue line, Thornton carried the puck alone up the right wing. Entering the Buffalo zone, Thornton made a nifty move to the middle to elude Henrik Tallinder’s check, and snapped a shot across his body that beat Martin Biron on the glove side.

The Bruins, who eventually built a 5-1 lead, scored twice more in the second period. Lapointe’s blast beat a screened Biron over the right shoulder with 53 seconds left.

Thornton is showing he has fully shaken any effects of a broken cheekbone that sidelined him for three games last month. Boston’s captain has eight points in the last three games

The Sabres came out flat and sloppy. The six goals against snapped a six-game streak in which the team allowed two or less, and were the most since a 7-2 loss to Detroit on Dec. 10.

Except for Drury’s goal, which came from a bad angle, Raycroft had a strong game. He made a spectacular diving save across the crease to foil Miroslav Satan’s bouncer to preserve a 3-1 lead late in the second period.

Notes: Biron lost for the first time in five starts and was pulled after two periods in favor of Mika Noronen, who allowed two goals on five shots. … Bruins D Dan McGillis (hip flexor) missed his second straight game. … Bruins backup G Tim Thomas was called up earlier in the day to fill in for Felix Potvin, who strained his knee in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over Atlanta. … Through a quirk in the schedule, this was the fourth meeting between the teams since Jan. 12. They meet twice more in a home-and-home series next month.

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