For several weeks, while mending a broken finger, Milan Lucic was simply limited to skating in an empty rink without a puck.

As boring as that practice may have been, Lucic’s ability to forcefully skitter without the puck paid big dividends Friday as the Bruins took a 2-1 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Trailing by a goal in the second period, Lucic raced up the ice to finish a perfect two-on-one with Byron Bitz, drawing Boston even.

Patrice Bergeron then deflected in a Zdeno Chara shot 47 seconds into overtime lifting the Bruins to a spirited division win.

Bergeron was also the hero Thursday, scoring the shootout winner as the B’s took a 4-3 win in Atlanta. Two games into a four-game road trip, Boston is back to playing with passion and securing standings points.

While they have meandered for much of the early season, the Bruins have never swayed too far from striking distance of the lead in the Northeast Division. Despite mediocre play and the loss of key players, Friday’s win puts Boston just two points behind first-place Buffalo and the Sabres were left with little doubt the Bruins are intent on climbing.

Here’s what we learned ...

.LUCIC WILL NOT NEED LONG TO BE A FORCE

Returning to the lineup after a 14-game absence Thursday Lucic saw just 14 minutes of ice time in Atlanta. Against the Sabres Friday, he was on the ice for just 13 minutes and 40 seconds. But less was certainly more.

In the opening minute, Lucic leveled a jarring check on Buffalo defenseman Henrik Tallender as he circled the net. Yes, he apparently is clear for contact.

Skating with Bitz and center Steve Begin, Lucic and company helped Boston overcome a slow start after Buffalo grab an early 1-0 lead on a power play goal by Paul Guastad. Working the puck low, the Begin line generated pressure in the Sabres zone as the Bruins started to control play in the second period.

Still, despite swarming Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, Boston was on its way to another one of their recent “we had our chances” defeats before Lucic and Bitz combined to get the Bruins on track.

The crucial play actually could have had an entirely different result. It began with Rask deflecting the puck aside with his stick to the left corner, where it was gathered by Lucic in the Bruins zone.

Lucic then sent a clearing pass to Bitz, but the puck bounded dangerously near the Boston blue line with Buffalo defenseman Chris Butler jumping up to try and pin the Bruins in their own end. But Bitz was able to arrive at the puck just before Butler, using his outreached stick to deftly tip it forward.

With Butler now trapped in the Boston zone and Bitz at full speed, Boston broke up ice with a two-on-one advantage. Bitz feathered a pass to Lucic as he raced down the left wing and Lucic swiftly fired it past Miller to tie the game.

It was the first goal of the season for the recharged Lucic. 

SABRE RATTLER

Bitz had not generated a point in nearly two weeks, since well, the last time he played the Sabres.

After scoring against Buffalo on November 7 Bitz faded from the Bruins recent offense.  He now as just four points (2 goals, 2 assists) on the season, with two of them against Buffalo.

But, there is little doubt that Bitz’s game was especially sharp skating with Lucic. Aside from simply having Lucic back, the Bruins could also get a major lift if Bitz and Begin can help to form an effective third line with scoring potential.

IT WAS TUUKKA TIME

Only crazed talk show hosts and puck malcontents would suggest that Rask has shown after 13 NHL games he is ready to be number one NHL goalie (hello Blaine Lacher and Jim Carey).

Yet, Rask has shown he can give the Bruins solid enough goaltending to put the team in a position to win. Starting his third consecutive overall game, and second in as many night in place of an injured Tim Thomas, Rask had one of his best performances.

The 22-year-old rookie had given up two or more goals in five of his seven prior starts this season, but he pushed aside 25 shots to hold Buffalo off the scoreboard for the final 56 minutes of play Friday.

Rask was especially sharp plucking a Tyler Myers backhand shot out of the air early in the third period and steering aside a Patrick Kaleta slap shot off a right-wing rush with two minutes left in regulation. 

The young goalie also picked up an assist on Lucic’s goal.

That’s just the way things are starting to click for the Bruins