BOSTON (AP) – Marco Sturm scored in overtime and added an assist to lead the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Sturm beat a distraught Ryan Miller and scored with 52.3 seconds remaining after he redirected a shot from Aaron Ward, who had gently flipped the puck toward the net.

Tim Thomas made 27 saves for Boston, who beat the Sabres for the third time in its last 11 home games against Buffalo.

Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad scored a power-play goal to tie the game at 3 when he tipped the puck out of the air after a pair of slick passes from Jaroslav Spacek and Ales Kotalik with 11:42 remaining in regulation. Spacek and Kotalik each had two assists for the Sabres.

Marc Savard gave the Bruins a brief 3-2 lead 59 seconds after Buffalo’s Brian Campbell had tied the game. Savard pulled up on a 2-on-1 and beat Miller short side 3:08 into the third period.

Glen Metropolit, who also assisted on the game-winner, gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 2:07 of the second period. Phil Kessel increased the lead to 2-0 at 7:39 of the second when his shot from the right face-off circle squirted through the legs of Spacek and Miller.

Maxim Afinogenov eventually cut Boston’s lead in half at 2-1 with 2:29 left in the second period after he tapped in a pass from Thomas Vanek. Afinogenov has 33 points in 34 career games against the Bruins.

Thomas allowed more than two goals for the first time this season.

Buffalo took 14 out of a possible 16 points against Boston last season and Boston last beat Buffalo in regulation Mar. 25, 2006.

Notes: Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner as well as President Larry Lucchino brought the 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies to center ice before the game. … Boston played its first of nine consecutive games against Northeast Division opponents. … Goalie Jordan Sigalet was recalled from Providence to replace Manny Fernandez after he suffered a knee strain in practice for Boston. … Sabres captain Toni Lydman temporarily left the game in the second period after taking a shot by Metropolit off his face.