BOSTON, 14 January 2004 — Sergei Samsonov scored the game-winning goal for the Boston Bruins with 7:12 remaining to clinch a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Cam Neely Night on Monday.

Neely became the 10th Bruin to have his number retired in a pre-game ceremony but Boston needed to rally from a two-goal deficit to record its fourth straight victory and improve to 5-0-1 in the last six games.

Former Bruin Neely was a prominent goal scorer before his playing days were cut short by injuries.

Buffalo coasted to a 3-1 lead before the Bruins started their rally. Two goals by rookie Patrice Bergeron tied the score, setting the stage for Samsonov’s game winner.

Joe Thornton grabbed the other goal for the Bruins, who out-shot the Sabres 23-22. Andrew Raycroft made 19 saves for Boston.

Daniel Briere, Jochen Hecht and Jason Botterill replied for the Sabres, who are 0-4-1 in their last five visits to Boston.

Samsonov and Thornton both added assists to their goals while Brian Rolston had two assists for Boston.

In Philadelphia, the agony continued for the Flyers as they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Dick Tarnstrom and Tom Kostopoulos scored for the Penguins while Jean-Sebastien Aubin was brilliant in goal, making 33 saves. Mike Comrie had the lone goal for the Flyers, who are winless in five.

In St. Louis, Chris Pronger picked up two goals and an assist to lead the Blues past the Chicago Blackhawks 7-4. Mike Danton netted twice for the Blues while Pavol Demitra, Christian Backman and Scott Mellanby also scored.

In St. Paul, Sergei Zholtok scored with 13.9 seconds left in regulation time to give the Minnesota Wild a 3-3 tie with the Nashville Predators. Richard Park and Filip Kuba also netted for the Wild, now 1-3-7 in their last 11 games. Vladimir Orszagh, Scott Hartnell and Martin Erat replied for the Predators, who were out-shot 39-23.

Lightning Star Lecavalier Suspended for Kicking

In Toronto, Canadian forward Vincent Lecavalier’s subpar season now includes a suspension by the league.

The Tampa Bay Lightning center, who has struggled offensively in 2003-04, was suspended one game without pay by the league on Monday for a kicking incident against the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Lecavalier was suspended and docked just over $14,000 for an incident involving Rangers defenseman Darius Kasparaitis.

No penalty was assessed on the play but the National Hockey League’s disciplinary committee ruled that Lacavalier was to miss game in Pittsburgh.

Kings Lose Slovakian Star Palffy to Surgery

Slovakian star Ziggy Palffy, the Los Angeles Kings leading scorer, underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery on Monday.

A Kings club doctor performed the procedure, which is expected to sideline Palffy at least six months.

Stricken by an overabundance of injuries the last few years, the cursed Kings watched Palffy go down on Jan. 7 in a game against Anaheim.

Palffy, of Skalica, is one of the top scorers in the National Hockey League this season with 16 goals and 25 assists in 35 games.

The 31-year-old has 318 goals and 353 assists in 642 career NHL contests with the New York Islanders and Kings.

Palffy joins Los Angeles’ other top scorers, Jason Allison and his Canadian compatriot Adam Deadmarsh, on the sidelines.

Allison and Deadmarsh have not played this season as they recover from concussions.

The Kings on Monday also placed Czech center Martin Straka on injured reserve, retroactive to Monday, with a knee sprain.