Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres Pick & Prediction JANUARY 28th 2025
Preview and Prediction
With only six matches remaining before the National Hockey League's two-week hiatus for the 4 Nations Face-Off, each point in the standings holds a heightened sense of value.
The Boston Bruins have climbed back into contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, earning points in six of their last seven games (5-1-1). They will look to continue this trend as they face the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
According to Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco, it is their responsibility to remain focused on the present and not worry about future games. Currently tied with the Ottawa Senators for third place in the Atlantic Division, Boston has made a strong push to secure a spot in the playoffs.
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The race for a playoff spot is still wide open, but the Bruins are motivated to maintain their position in the mix.
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov stated, "I am determined to make the playoffs. I want to see the Garden buzzing with playoff hockey, so that is definitely extra motivation for us." This determination was evident in their previous game, as they scored three unanswered goals in the third period to secure a comeback victory.
Once again, Morgan Geekie proved to be the hero for the Bruins. The forward, who has been on a hot streak in January with seven of his 15 goals scored this month, scored the tying and winning goals with assists from David Pastrnak. Pastrnak, who has been on a seven-game point streak, has recorded 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in that span.
Geekie expressed his excitement about playing alongside skilled players like Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, stating, "It's always fun to play with guys with lots of skill and I think for me personally, it's like you're kind of in awe of the things that (Pastrnak) does with the puck, so I just try to get open. It's lots of fun right now, so just keep having fun."
The Bruins will need to maintain this positive mindset as they face the Sabres, who currently sit at the bottom of the conference with a seven-point gap. Buffalo has struggled in their last 10 games, losing six of them, including a recent 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Despite registering over 40 shots in the game, the Sabres were unable to secure a win. This has been a recurring issue for them this season, as they have lost 12 games when scoring the first goal.
Coach Lindy Ruff was pleased with his team's effort in the third period, where they registered 19 shots. However, a late tying goal from rookie Jiri Kulich was overturned, resulting in another loss for the Sabres.
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Ruff praised Kulich's performance since his return from injury, stating, "We knew how well he'd been playing before he went out. I think he's proven now that he can play in the middle and he can carry the puck through the neutral zone, he can win key faceoffs for us and defensively he's been really strong." The 20-year-old forward has scored nine goals this season.
As the Bruins and Sabres face off, both teams will be looking to secure a crucial win in the tight playoff race.
Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres Recap MAR 19TH 2023
The Boston Bruins received another strong performance from goaltender Jeremy Swayman and extended their winning streak to three games by beating the host Buffalo Sabres 7-0 on Sunday.
Swayman, who recorded 36 saves in a 3-0 victory over Winnipeg on Thursday night, stopped 27 Buffalo shots to collect his fourth shutout of the season and the ninth of his career.
Patrice Bergeron, Garnet Hathaway, Jake DeBrusk, Hampus Lindholm, David Pastrnak, Charlie Coyle and Charlie McAvoy scored for Boston (53-11-5, 111 points), which completed a five-game road trip with a 3-2-0 record. Pastrnak's goal came during a Boston power play.
Boston's top line of Bergeron, DeBrusk and Brad Marchand accounted for nine points against the Sabres. DeBrusk had three assists in the victory, Bergeron had two and Marchand added two.
The Bruins took control in the first period, after which they led 3-0. It was 4-0 entering the third.
Bergeron gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 15 seconds into the game with his 26th goal of the season. Hathaway doubled Boston's lead when he scored his 11th of the year at 9:01, and DeBrusk made it 3-0 at 11:40 with his 22nd.
Lindholm increased Boston's advantage to 4-0 when he scored at 7:48 of the second period.
Pastrnak's 48th goal, which ranks second in the NHL, made it 5-0 at 10:37 of the third. Coyle's 13th of the year came with 8:27 to play and McAvoy capped the scoring with his sixth tally at 17:59.
The loss was the beginning of a three-game homestand for the Sabres (33-30-6, 72 points), who received 19 saves from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Boston won three of its four regular-season games against the Sabres this season and outscored Buffalo 20-6. The Sabres were scoreless in 13 power-play opportunities against the Bruins this season, including 0-for-4 on Sunday.
Center David Krejci (soreness) and defenseman Dmitry Orlov (rest) were not in the Bruins' lineup.