Live Blog: Bruins at Sabres

by

Jan 29, 2010

Live Blog: Bruins at Sabres End of regulation, Sabres win 2-1: This is one of those games in which the Bruins did a lot of things right.  But in the end, it's the same song and dance: not enough scoring.

The B's are last in the NHL in scoring and this game epitomized the struggles they are having. They boys controlled play for the majority of the game, but could not find the back of the net.

The good news is that the B's fell behind quickly and did not quit. The bad news is that this team is past the point of moral victories. The Bruins need to start picking up points if they plan on making the playoffs.

Yes, the B's controlled play for a great portion of this game. However, they came out flat early and fell behind 0-2 after the first. Ultimately, this hole was too much to overcome. The Bruins are now 1-9-1 in their last 11 games.

The Bruins don't have much time to think about this one; they are at home Saturday night to face the Kings, who are 6-1 in their last seven games.

End of regulation, Sabres 2-1: At the 1:17 mark, Boston cleared the net and brought on the extra attacker, but it wasn't meant to be. Buffalo did a great job of winning the last few faceoffs to secure the win.

Third period, 2:00, Sabres 2-1: Pactrice Bergeron has played a great game. He just finished a shift in which he twice put the puck right in front of the net.

Third period, 4:24, Sabres 2-1: The B's continue to attack as the crowd erupts in a "Let's go Sabres!" chant.

The B's have outshot the Sabres 12-3 this period.

Third period, 5:51, Sabres 2-1: With 8:56 to go in the third, the Bruins have their first power play of the night. Chara had a pair of one-timers, but the Sabres did a great job of killing that one.

The power play ended with a great chance by Buffalo, but the B's were able to regroup and avoided allowing a disastrous third goal.

Third period, 9:48, Sabres 2-1: The Bruins have played well. They have outshot and outhit the Sabres and are winning the turnover battle 7-1. Unfortunately, there is only one stat that counts: goals.

Third period, 11:31, Sabres 2-1: Jack Edwards just dropped a scary stat. When leading after two periods, the Sabres are a perfect 19-0-0 this season. Let's see if the B's can break that.

Third period, 13:48, Sabres 2-1: There we go. The Bruins are back on the attack.

One thing about Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller is that he hates to eat the puck. Every time he catches or traps it, he likes to keep play moving. But the B's have learned this as well and are now crashing the net hard.

Third period, 16:38, Sabres 2-1: No suprise, the Sabres start the third period very hungry. Rask made a nice stop. The B's need to withstand this initial surge and then counter.

Third period, 19:42, Sabres 2-1: The Bruins have been off for a week. I assumed that would translate to them playing hard as soon as the puck dropped, but that was not the case. Instead, it took the B's a period to get into the flow. They need to keep up the energy because they looked great last period.

End of second period, Sabres 2-1: What a difference a period makes. Boston looked tentative in the first but came out of the locker room with a lot of intensity, as they outhustled and outplayed the Sabres in the second.

Obviously the goal was huge, but the intensity was really noticeable. The Bruins forced the action much more in that period by being aggressive and attacking when the opportunities presented.

During intermission, they showed a highlight of the Lucic goal. Terrific concentration. He didn't handle Savard's pass cleanly, but kept his stick down and finished a very important play.

In the third, the Bruins need to keep up the energy. Buffalo was on their heels for most of the second, but the Sabres are sure to come out of the locker room with more intensity. The other thing the B's need to do is score. (Yes, that is obvious.) The fact is, they are getting a lot of good chances, but are not able to put the puck in the back of the net.

Second period, 0:21, Sabres 2-1: The Sabers are outplaying the Bruins to end the period, but that was to be expected, since the B's were owning this period. The B's did well to weather Buffalo's attack and enter the second intermission down only one. 

Second period, 5:15, Sabres 2-1: Right after the goal, David Krejci is called for high-sticking. The B's needed to hold and they did. A great response. They are still down, but they are dominating this period. They need to end strong.

Second period, 9:57, Sabres 2-1: Boston goal! That's what I'm talking about. Terrific play in the defensive end sets up a three-on-two for the B's. Savard carried the puck into the zone on the left wing and dished to Milan Lucic, who was trailing in the center. Lucic lost the puck for a second and it appeared like Miller was going to be able to recover — but Lucic was able fire a wrister that lit the lamp.

The B's are playing tough in this period and it finally shows up on the scoreboard.

Chara is also credited with an assist.

Second period, 11:56, Sabres 2-0: The Bruins continue to outwork the Sabres. They continue to produce good chances. In one, Bryon Bitz blazed past two Sabres to get in position for a possible deflection. It was great hussle, but Ryan Miller's save redirected a little too hard for Bitz.

Second period, 15:11, Sabres 2-0: Good start by the Bruins. They are competing hard and outplaying the Sabres at the beginning of the second. Buffalo is trying to keep up with the B's intensity.

End of first period, Sabres 2-0: What can you say? Another poor period by the B's. The one bright spot was that they did have several legitimate scoring opportunities and actually outshot the Sabres 13-10. However, those numbers are deceiving, as all of the Bruins chances came in transition.

Tallinder was just interviewed by Naoko Funayama and he basically told her that he just threw the puck at the net for the first goal. That was obviously the case, but it's tough when you actually hear a player say that.

Buffalo totally controlled the puck that first period. It feels like a broken record, but the Bruins looked slow and undisciplined. They were playing on their heels and were sent to the box three times. They need some intensity because everything is just way too easy for Buffalo right now. A very weak start for the Black and Gold.

First period, 2:28, Sabres 2-0: Straight on shot from the point that Rask stops, but Thomas Vanek is in perfect position to clean up the crumbs.

Just saw the replay. Vanek really held his own in front of the net.

First period, 4:21, Sabres 1-0: The Sabres are completely controlling play here in the first. Vladimir Sobotka is called for an unnecessary interference. The Bruins are able to kill the penalty, but they were more lucky than good as Buffalo continues to get terrific chances.

First period, 9:24, Sabres 1-0: The Bruins have had two good scoring chances, including one where Savard was just a tad slow to shoot — it is his first game in about a month.

On D, Boston needs to be better. The Sabres are getting good chances without working too hard.

First period, 11:34, Sabres 1-0: The B's do a good job of killing a Thornton penalty, but it was eventful.  The Sabres had two good scoring opportunities, but could not convert.

First period, 15:59, Sabres 1-0: A little wrister by Henrik Tallinder finds the back of the net. It looked like he was just throwing the puck at the net, but Tuukka Rask never even saw it.

First period, 17:36, 0-0: Terrific start by the B's, including Zdeno Chara with a great move and a good look, but Miller is up to the task.

7:31 p.m.: The puck is about to drop and the B's will begin a brutal stretch in their schedule where they play nine times in 16 days. These games will go a long way in determining the final direction of the B’s season.

7:07 p.m.: Tuukka Rask will mind the net tonight. That’s a little bit surprising considering the layoff, but Claude Julien is no doubt looking for either Rask or Tim Thomas to step up.

Putting Rask in net makes sense in this one. The B’s are 2-0 against the Sabres this season and Rask was in net for both of those contests, holding Buffalo to just three goals. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

4:17 p.m.: Quick injury notes. For the B’s, Marco Sturm and Steve Begin are both out, but Byron Bitz will return. Sturm traveled with the team and skated on Thursday. He should be back next week.

For the Sabres, Tim Kennedy, Andrej Sekera and Nathan Paetsch are all out, while Clarke MacArthur and Matt Ellis are in.

11:36 a.m.: Heee’s Baaack! OK, maybe he was out for less than a month, and maybe his return is not a cure-all for everything that ails the B’s, but getting Marc Savard back on the ice should provide a huge spark for a team desperately in need of some energy.

The Bruins' offense has really struggled during Savard’s absence, averaging only 1.78 goals per game. With Savard back as the first-line point and Patrice Bergeron skating with the second line, the offense immediately looks much stronger.

We won’t have to wait very long to see if there is an offensive improvement. Friday night, Savard and the boys will be in Buffalo to face off against the Northeast Division-leading Sabres and stud goalie Ryan Miller, who is expected to be starting in net for the United States in the upcoming Olympics.

Is it too early to start getting fired up?

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