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Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, left, makes one of his 11 saves before getting yanked in favour of Tuukka Rask in the second period. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press)

A questionable go by Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien could loom large over the final two weeks of the NHL regular season.

Julien, with his team clinging to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, elected to start Tim Thomas in goal Monday night against Buffalo, despite the fact he had lost his four previous starts to the Sabres.

It was a gutsy call that proved to be the incorrect one as Thomas surrendered three goals on 14 shots before he was lifted in favour of Tuukka Rask early in the second period of a 3-2 defeat in Boston.

Perhaps Julien was hoping Thomas would ride the momentum of his 31-save shutout versus the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Instead Rask, who started the first four games versus Buffalo this season, was the top Bruins netminder on this night, kicking aside all 19 shots he faced.

Fortunately for the coach and Thomas, the Bruins remain in sole possession of eighth place in the conference because Atlanta fell 4-1 to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.

At 34-29-12, Boston has 80 points, two behind sixth-place Philadelphia and No. 7 Montreal, and has a game in hand on both clubs. Ninth-place Atlanta has 78 points and the 10th-ranked New York Rangers have 76.

The Bruins made a late push when Dennis Seidenberg beat Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller at 14:23 of the third period, but the latter stood his ground the rest of the way, especially in the final 65 seconds when Julien pulled Rask for an extra attacker.

Of Miller’s 40 saves, none was larger than his glove stop against Mark Recchi, who was stationed at the side of the crease with five seconds left on the clock.

Miller also came up huge against Marco Sturm, who had a game-high seven shots, and came up empty on a first-period penalty shot.

It was a excellent rebound game for Miller, who dropped a 3-2 choice to Ottawa on Friday, and has won five of his last six starts.

Buffalo, which played without injured forwards Thomas Vanek (lower body), Tim Connolly (foot), Patrick Kaleta (thumb surgery) and Raffi Torres (hand/wrist), closed to within one point of idle Pittsburgh for the No. 2 seed in the East with the victory.

The Sabres also opened up a seven-point lead on the second-place Senators in the Northeast Division with a game in hand.

Kaleta, who was injured Friday against Ottawa, will miss a minimum two weeks of action while Torres participated in Monday’s morning skate and could be available “within the next few days,” according to Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff.

After Bruins forward Dave Krejci tucked the puck in between Miller and the post while standing behind the net to extend his points streak to four games, Sabres Tyler Myers and Paul Gaustad answered before the end of the first period.

Myers’s 11th goal of the season came off a harmless-looking shot from the point that was deflected before it eluded Thomas.

Tim Kennedy finished the Bruins goalie’s evening at 6:08 of the second period. Thomas got a piece of Kennedy’s one-timer but the puck found a hole under his left pad and trickled over the goal line.

Boston, minus the services of injured defenceman Andrew Ference, did manage to contain hot Buffalo forward Jason Pominville, who failed to register a point after amassing 15 in the past 10 outings.

The Sabres will pay another visit to Boston April 8 to conclude the six-game season series.

Barbara Budd, co-host of CBC Radio One’s As it Happens, announced Monday that she will retire on April 30. (CBC)

Barbara Budd, co-host of CBC Radio One’s As It Happens, has announced that she will leave the CBC next month after more than 26 years with the public broadcaster.

Budd, who has been co-host of the current affairs radio program for 17 years, will hang up her headphones on April 30, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said in a news release.

“You may not necessarily be able to own the podium, but I gotta tell you, from the bottom of my heart, it sure is thrilling to be given the use of one for 17 years,” Budd told her listeners on the show.

Over the years, complete strangers have stopped her wherever she was because they recognized her voice and say, “‘Well I’m so glad to finally place a face to the voice.’”

And Budd always answered, “Well I’m so glad to place a face to the ears.”

After she made her announcement on the show, she questioned her listeners to send her pictures of themselves so that she can continue to place a face to their ears.

CBC Radio’s general manager Denise Donlon said, “Barbara has made a significant contribution to a legendary CBC program and along with thanks, we offer her our very best wishes as she embarks on her next fantastic adventures,” Donlon said.

A formal search for a replacement is to start shortly.

Barbara Budd, co-host of CBC Radio One’s As it Happens, announced Monday that she will retire on April 30. (CBC)

Barbara Budd, co-host of CBC Radio One’s As It Happens, has announced that she will retire next month after more than 26 years with the public broadcaster.

Budd, who has been co-host of the current affairs radio program for 17 years, will hang up her headphones on April 30, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said in a news release.

“You may not necessarily be able to own the podium, but I gotta tell you, from the bottom of my heart, it sure is thrilling to be given the use of one for 17 years,” Budd told her listeners on the show.

Over the years, complete strangers have stopped her wherever she was because they recognized her voice and say, “‘Well I’m so glad to finally place a face to the voice.’”

And Budd always answered, “Well I’m so glad to place a face to the ears.”

After she made her announcement on the show, she questioned her listeners to send her pictures of themselves so that she can continue to place a face to their ears.

CBC Radio’s general manager Denise Donlon said, “Barbara has made a significant contribution to a legendary CBC program and along with thanks, we offer her our very best wishes as she embarks on her next fantastic adventures,” Donlon said.

A formal search for a replacement is to start shortly.