Bruins Hit Bottom in 4-2 Loss to Sabres

The Boston Bruins have stopped doing what gave them the NHL’s best record for the first two months of the season.

Having dropped four straight, now the Bruins can’t beat one of the league’s worst teams.

Chris Gratton scored his first goal in nearly a month and added three assists as the Buffalo Sabres beat the Bruins, 4-2, Wednesday at Buffalo, N.Y.

“We’re not playing our game right now,” Bruin forward Brian Rolston said. “It’s very simple, we’re giving up 2-on-1, 2-on-0s, things we don’t do normally. You just try to work as hard as you can to get out of it, that’s the bottom line.”

Mike Knuble and Sergei Samsonov, back after missing four games with a groin injury, scored for Boston.

The Bruins have been outscored, 17-6, during their longest losing streak since a four-game skid from Feb. 28 to March 6 last season.

J.P. Dumont, Taylor Pyatt and Stu Barnes also scored for Buffalo.

Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 1 -- At Atlanta, Robert Esche stopped 23 shots as the Flyers extended their unbeaten streak to five games.

Justin Williams, Mark Recchi and Donald Brashear scored for the Flyers, who are 4-0-1 in their last five games and lead the Atlantic Division with 40 points.

Ottawa 3, New Jersey 0 -- Patrick Lalime had 27 saves, leading the Senators at East Rutherford, N.J.

Radek Bonk scored two goals and Martin Havlat had two assists, as the Senators beat the Devils for the second time in five days.

Toronto 2, Florida 2 -- Jaroslav Bednar scored in the third period, and Roberto Luongo had 29 saves as the Panthers rallied to tie the Maple Leafs at Sunrise, Fla.

Carolina 1, Tampa Bay 1 -- Brad Richards scored in the first period, and Nikolai Khabibulin allowed just one goal against Carolina for a third straight game.

The tie at Raleigh, N.C., kept the Lightning three points ahead of second-place Carolina in the Southeast Division.