BUFFALO, N.Y. – Phil Kessel scored the lone shootout goal in rallying the Boston Bruins from a two-goal deficit to seal a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Marco Sturm, who tied it by scoring with 3:50 left in regulation, and Zdeno Chara scored third-period goals for the Bruins. Backup goalie Alex Auld, making his first start in since Jan. 17, stopped 24 shots, including Buffalo’s three shootout attempts.

Jaroslav Spacek and Thomas Vanek scored for the Sabres, who lost for only the second time in seven games (5-0-2). Playing their third game in four night, the Sabres ran out of gas, particularly in the third period, when they were outshot 17-1.

Kessel’s shootout goal was the result of a miscue. Driving on net, Kessel faked right then left and had the puck dribble off his stick but it slid directly through Ryan Miller’s legs.

Miller stopped 35 shots for Buffalo, but squandered a chance to win his 100th career game. Buffalo also blew a chance to tie Boston for the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff berth.

Instead, the Bruins moved into seventh place, a point ahead of the idle New York Rangers.

Chara sparked the comeback when he scored in the opening minute of the third period, beating a screened Miller with a rising slap shot from the left point. Sturm then tied it by capping a nifty transition rush.

After Buffalo’s Adam Mair’s hard shot went wide of the Boston net, Marc Savard got to the loose puck and fed Sturm, who burst into the Sabres’ end and beat Miller with a snap shot on the short side.

The Sabres, meanwhile, were having trouble getting a shot on net. Their one and only shot of the period came with 2:45 left when Ales Kotalik’s weak shot from the right circle was easily stopped by Auld.

Auld was making his first start since being pulled after 20 minutes after allowing four goals on seven shots in an 8-2 loss to Montreal on Jan. 17.

Buffalo’s first two goals came in the final minute of each of the first two periods.

Spacek scored a power-play goal with 3.4 seconds left in the first, snapping a shot from the right circle that beat Alex Auld over the left shoulder. Vanek scored with 38 seconds left in the second period, converting Derek Roy’s backhand pass into the slot.

Ducks 2, Devils 1

NEWARK, N.J. – Ryan Carter scored his first two NHL goals in the first period and the Anaheim Ducks completed a three-game, New York-area sweep with a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

Playing a metropolitan team for the third time in four nights, the Ducks grabbed a 2-0 lead. Jonas Hiller protected it by stopping 35 shots – 16 in the third – making defenseman Scott Niedermayer’s return to New Jersey a happy one.

Niedermayer starred on all three Devils Stanley Cup championships before joining the Ducks – and brother Rob – as a free agent in 2005. He spent his first 13 NHL seasons with New Jersey.

Hurricanes 2, Capitals 1

WASHINGTON – Erik Cole and Andrew Ladd scored first-period goals, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat Washington 2-1 Friday night to retake first place in the Southeast Division from the Capitals.

Cam Ward made 33 saves for Carolina, which withstood 13 shots in the third period to snap a two-game skid.

Alexander Semin tallied for Washington, which had won eight of 11 to grab the top spot in the division but wasted an opportunity to expand its lead. Instead, the Capitals had a two-game winning streak halted and swapped placed with the Hurricanes in the conference standings.

Alex Ovechkin was held without a point for the 11th time in 56 games this season. Ovechkin’s 46 goals leads the Capitals and his next will surpass his total from 2006-07.