Chara's overtime goal lifts Senators past Bruins

OTTAWA -- Defenseman Zdeno Chara seized his
opportunity to help the Ottawa Senators regain sole possession ...

• Chara's overtime goal lifts Senators past Bruins

Bruins 5, Sabres 4

While the Bruins' front office might be ready to give up on this season, Brad Boyes and the rest of his Boston teammates are still holding onto faint playoff hopes.

Marco Sturm scored late in the third period, Boyes had a goal and two assists, and Boston snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 Saturday night, just hours after the Bruins fired general manager Mike O'Connell.

• Bruins 5, Sabres 4

Bruins fire general manager Mike O'Connell

The Boston Bruins fired general manager Mike O'Connell on Saturday, telling him he wouldn't be back next season so there was no point in finishing out this one.

Assistant general manager Jeff Gorton will assume the GM's duties for the rest of the season, team president Harry Sinden said before the Bruins' game against the Buffalo Sabres.

"When you think something has to be done ... you have to do it," Sinden said.

• Bruins fire general manager Mike O'Connell

No Jokinen: Panthers down Bruins

Olli Jokinen scored in a shootout and Roberto Luongo stopped all three Boston attempts in the tiebreaker in the Florida Panthers' 4-3 victory over the fading Boston Bruins on Monday night.

Seemingly out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture a few weeks ago, the Panthers have won six straight and are 9-1-1 in their last 11 to move six points behind seventh-place New Jersey and Montreal. The top eight will make the playoffs.

• No Jokinen: Panthers down Bruins

Bruins O'Connell knew his demise was coming

On the day he was hired as the coach of the Boston Bruins, Robbie Ftorek said he knew that every day brought him one step closer to getting fired.

"He's the guy who's going to get rid of me eventually," Ftorek said, casting a glance over to general manager Mike O'Connell. "You're going to get released. It's part of the job."

Two years later, Ftorek was gone.

• Bruins O'Connell knew his demise was coming

Panthers 4, Bruins 3, SO

The Florida Panthers got the bounce they needed in a shootout.

Olli Jokinen scored in the tiebreaker and Roberto Luongo stopped all three Boston attempts in the Panthers' 4-3 victory over the fading Bruins on Monday night.

Seemingly out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture a few weeks ago, the Panthers have won six straight and are 9-1-1 in their last 11 to move six points behind seventh-place New Jersey and Montreal. The top eight will make the playoffs.

• Panthers 4, Bruins 3, SO

Bruins-Sabres Preview

GAME: Boston Bruins (28-32-13) at Buffalo Sabres (44-21-6).

TIME: Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST.

Experiencing their worst losing streak of the season, the Buffalo Sabres do not look like a team poised to make their first postseason appearance since 2000-01.

The Sabres will try to avoid a seventh straight loss when they host the Northeast Division rival Boston Bruins, whom they have dominated this season.

• Bruins-Sabres Preview

Panthers-Bruins, Sums

Florida 0 2 1 0-4

Boston 1 1 1 0-3

Florida won shootout 1-0

First Period-1, Boston, Boyes 24 (Boynton, Sturm), 13:24. Penalties-Hill, Fla (hooking), 3:00; Jackman, Fla (holding), 18:11.

Second Period-2, Florida, Stumpel 15 (Roberts, Nieuwendyk), 6:17 (pp). 3, Boston, Bergeron 25 (B.Stuart), 11:45. 4, Florida, Bouwmeester 3 (Gelinas, Hill), 19:18.

• Panthers-Bruins, Sums

NHL notes: More changes ahead in Boston?

Is the firing of GM Mike O'Connell the end of the upheaval in Boston or just the beginning? George Csolak has this and more in his notes.

• NHL notes: More changes ahead in Boston?