Khusnutdinov Scores OT Winner Against Sabres: ‘It’s Unbelievable For Me’

BOSTON –– Marat Khusnutdinov streaked up the ice in overtime, unleashing a snapshot from the right side that wired into the back of the net.

The forward’s goal not only secured a 4-3 win for the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night at TD Garden, but was validation for the ups and downs Khusnutdinov has fought through to start the season.

The tally at 2:07 of OT marked his first of the year. Khusnutdinov got back in the lineup on Monday after being a healthy scratch for a week, and he has made the most of it. The 23-year-old skated on the first line on Thursday, too.

“It’s unbelievable for me. It’s the first game with the first line, first goal of the season. Great for the team, great for me,” Khusnutdinov said. “It’s new for me. It’s the first time I’ve played first line in the NHL. Great time.”

The B’s would’ve cheered for anyone in the Black & Gold to score, but there was extra excitement when the bench saw the game-winning shot came off of Khusnutdinov’s stick.​

“I was really happy. It’s great. He’s a good player, good kid, too,” Nikita Zadorov said. “We’ve been close since he came here. Family is close. He is coming for trick-or-treating tomorrow. It’s going to be exciting.”​

Khusnutdinov’s response to adversity is exactly what head coach Marco Sturm was looking for when slotting him into a top-six role.

“A player has to understand that is it fun when you get scratched? No. But the player has to be ready when your opportunity comes up,” Sturm said. “Any time he was scratched, he worked. He worked really hard in practice, and he just waited for his opportunity, and then he took advantage.”

Ahead of Khusnutdinov’s heroics, Morgan Geekie capitalized on the power play to put the Bruins up 1-0 at 13:07 of the first period. David Pastrnak swung the puck over to Geekie by the right circle, where he lasered it past Buffalo netminder Alex Lyon for his team-leading ninth goal of the season. Geekie has goals in the last six consecutive games, too.

​Pastrnak picked up his second point of the night just two minutes later. The forward forced a turnover in the defensive zone before darting up the left side and wristing it home for the 2-0 boost. It was his seventh goal and sixth multi-point performance of the year.

Rasmus Dahlin pulled the Sabres within one, 2-1, while on the man advantage at 16:01 of the middle frame, but Mark Kastelic extended the Bruins’ lead before the third. Tanner Jeannot poked the rebound of Sean Kuraly’s initial shot loose in the crease, and Kastelic dove to knock it in at 19:39 for the 3-1 scoreline.

“For me, it was just right place, right time. [Kuraly] and [Jeannot] did most of the work on that specific play,” Kastelic said. “As a line, we are just having success when we play simple. I think all of us are on the same page.”

Josh Doan batted one in to make it 3-2 at 7:00 of the final stanza, and Alex Tuch followed it up with the 3-3 equalizer at 14:25. Khusnutdinov’s overtime tally, though, earned the Bruins their second straight win on home ice.

“I thought we showed up last game against the Islanders and tonight,” Zadorov said. “We played a good team hockey. Obviously, there is something to build [off] of.”

Joonas Korpisalo’s 37 saves and strong composure through 60 minutes were another key to Boston’s success against the Sabres.​

“That was good,” Korpisalo said. “Just try to stick with it and do my best out there.”

The Bruins are back at TD Garden on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.