Krejci's two goals help Bruins advance

David Krejci had two goals and one assist to lead host Boston to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series last night and put the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tuukka Rask stopped 27 shots for Boston, which will play either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh in the second round.

It's Boston's second playoff series victory - and first at home - since 1999.

Buffalo, which missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, has not advanced since reaching the conference semifinals in 2006 and '07.

Mark Recchi had a goal and an assist, and Miroslav Satan also scored for the Bruins.

Olympic MVP Ryan Miller made 28 saves for Buffalo. Patrick Kaleta and Nathan Gerbe scored for the Sabres, and Thomas Vanek made it 4-3 with 1:13 left after the goalie was pulled for an extra skater.

The Sabres pulled Miller with 2:25 left, trailing by two goals, and again after a faceoff at center ice with just over two minutes remaining. Vanek, who missed the previous three games with a sore left ankle, put them within one goal but they couldn't tie it in the closing minute.

Canadiens 4, Capitals 1

Jaroslav Halak made 53 saves, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice in the first period for the host Montreal Canadiens, who stayed alive with a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals and forced a Game 7 in the first-round series.

Halak made 18 saves in the first, 14 in the second, and 21 in the third. He came within 4:50 of his first playoff shutout. Halak, who stopped 37 shots in Friday's 2-1 victory in Washington, won his second straight start despite the top-seeded Capitals' 54-22 advantage in shots.

Cammalleri, who opened the scoring in Game 5, put the Canadiens up 1-0 with a power-play goal 7:30 in. He added his second - fifth of the series - at 9:09 to increase the lead to 2-0.

Lemaire retires

The energy is gone, so Jacques Lemaire is walking away from coaching.

Just four days after the Devils were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the third straight year, the 64-year-old Lemaire made the surprising announcement that he is retiring as a coach.

"It's tough to leave what you like, but it's a decision that I made," he said.

Lemaire said he thought about retiring several times this season and that the loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games had nothing to do with his decision.

"It's not the team, it is not the result or the lack of result we had in the playoffs," a glassy-eyed Lemaire said. "It's not that at all. It's the end of the line. I'll be 65. It's just time."