It took three-plus periods Saturday night, but the Causeway Street faithful finally came to life and went home happy at 2:28 of overtime when Brad Marchand potted his 24th goal of the season in another overtime affair for Boston, its third this week.

And fifth-straight one-goal win.

It was a sleeper until Marchand’s heroics.

Is this the turning point in the calendar for Boston Bruins?

The Saturday night tilt with the Sabres at TD Garden was Buffalo’s first visit since the mega meltdown the day after Christmas. Jack Eichel — with four total points that night — and peers exploded in the third period while the Bruins imploded, giving up five goals and a 3-1 lead en route to the 6-3 final, one of their seven losses at home when leading by two or more goals.

At 11-13-3, only Columbus, Buffalo and San Jose had a comparable home record across the NHL. Tough to figure any team making a deep spring run with that stat.

Add that Tuukka Rask brought a 3.02 GAA into Saturday night, the highest of any NHL netminder in the league with at least 15 home games.

In two earlier games to begin the “second season” this week, the Bruins coughed up a two-goal lead Tuesday against Toronto at TD, bowing 4-3 in OT. Then Thursday a polar opposite, down 2-0 at Buffalo before stealing two points in a shootout, thanks to Ryan Spooner’s winner.

Saturday afternoon, the Red Wings’ win over the Islanders pulled them even with the Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division. That appears the Bruins’ best shot at a (guaranteed) playoff spot. Nobody in the Atlantic is likely to catch the first-place and for-real Panthers, and the surging Lightning, who are 9-1 in their last 10. (What were the odds of two teams named Panthers playing for all the marbles in two sports in 2016?)

Does this season resemble the last? Second verse same as the first? Déjà vu all over again? Pick your cliché. Regardless, it’s the end of the favorable schedule ride for Boston.

The only stat keeping playoff hopes alive is their road slate at 16-5-3. That will be heavily tested with a six-game road trek over 11 days and almost 8,000 miles, starting next Thursday after Tuesday’s home game with the Cup-contending Kings and the hoopla of Milan Lucic’s return. Four of those road games are against Western Conference almost certain to make the playoffs — and one is at Detroit.

Ok, enough projecting. At hand, two more big points against Buffalo.

Here’s what we learned as the Bruins ended their last string of games against non-playoff teams for the rest of the season with a third consecutive OT outcome – a 2-1 win over Buffalo

Five of six points in three games in five days — all hold-your-breath affairs

When Loui Eriksson potted a gimme goal on a rebound of a David Pastrnak goal at 12:22 of the first period, it ignited a hopeful flow not seen since January 19th when Boston took out Montreal north of the border, 4-1. It was Eriksson’s 16th of the season — and first in nine games since January 13th.

Not to be. After Brett Connolly missed a golden opportunity at 7:54 of the second period — ditto for Pastrnak two minutes later — Sam Reinhart put a rebound past Rask at 10:53 to tie the game.

Buffalo took the momentum in the final 20 minutes while pouring a total of 37 shots on Rask in regulation.

Brad Marchand to the rescue

When Rasmus Ristolainen hooked Marchand at 2:32 of OT, referee Dave Jackson pointed to center ice. And Marchand iced the game with a deke left and a backhand past Lehner for his fourth goal in three games and 24th of the season. It was his second penalty shot of the season and fourth of his career – three successful.

“He’s riding a hot streak right now, so you’ve got to ride it as long as you can, and we can certainly use that,” Claude Julien said about his leading goal scorer. “Right now you’ve got to let him play because he’s extremely confident and playing well for us.”

Tuukka holds the fort

“He had to make some tough saves as well,” Julien said about his No. 1 goaltender. “They had some traffic in front, and even with tips and stuff like that, he made himself big tonight. I thought he played really, really well.”

Rask’s lifetime mark vs. the Sabres improved to 9-5-1 overall. With the Bruins missing momentum in the third period, chalk this victory up to Rask. Not likely the Bruins get to OT without his vintage performance and lowering that at-home GAA at the right time, all good for the No. 2 star of the game.

Winning ugly?

Three straight OT games against non-playoff teams; five straight one-goal wins in their last 10 games.

Winning “ugly?”

“I’m not saying it’s prettier than anything,” Julien said when asked about the Bruins’ winning ways. “I don’t think we need to be negative here all the time on the hockey club. We come back from a two-goal deficit in Buffalo, we don’t get that many accolades. But when we blow a two-goal lead we hear about it. I’m managing my team the way I need to manage it, and that’s making sure that what we’re doing well is positive, and we build on that and what we need to fix.”

“Yeah, we love those beauty contests,” Marchand said. “So, this is one that I think we have to be happy with. We didn’t play our best game, and it was back and forth, but ultimately we got the two points and right now every point is huge, and hopefully we continue this momentum forward and continue to play well.”

Eichel cools off in Beantown

In last February’s Beanpot final, Jack Eichel set up BU’s winning goal in OT. In his first pro game at TD Garden in December, those four points with two goals and two assists. He entered Saturday’s game at a very respectable 16-19-35 in 53 games in his rookie season. But his TD Garden lore hit a wall in the Saturday night loss.

Eichel’s final stats showed 20:05 played with a minus-1 and two shots on goal. He did nick the iron at 2:50 of the second period.

That elusive home .500 record within reach Tuesday

The win upped the B’s home record to 12-13-3. Tuesday, the Milan Lucic and the Kings come to town. Can it be that February 9 will mark the date the team reaches .500 at home?

“I like the way our guys are competing right now,” Julien said. “By working the way we have and committing a little bit more, we’re only going to get better.”