After not facing a division opponent in their first six contests, the Bruins take on a Northeast Division rival for the third straight game as they travel to Buffalo on Wednesday.
This is a rematch of last year's first-round playoff series, but much has changed since last spring. The Sabres won the Northeast last year, but they are currently sitting in last place with just eight points through 12 games. The Bruins have played a league-low eight games, but already have banked 12 points with an impressive start to the season.
They'll look to continue that strong start, and keep the Sabres rattled, as the division rivals clash for the first time this season in Buffalo.
When and Where
Boston Bruins (6-2-0, 12 points) at Buffalo Sabres (3-7-2, 8 points)
Nov. 3, 7 p.m. (NESN)
HSBC Arena, Buffalo, New York
Head to Head
This is the first of six meetings this season between the Northeast Division rivals. The Bruins went 4-2-0 against the Sabres, but all the games were close. Four were decided by one goal (one in OT, another in a shootout) and the other two by two goals. The Bruins' playoff victory was equally tight, with four more one-goal decisions (including one in double-OT) as Boston prevailed in six games. The Bruins lead the all-time series 114-103-29-5, but are just 45-62-15-4 in games played in Buffalo.
Goaltending Matchup
Tim Thomas was named the NHL's first star for last week and No. 2 star for the month of October as he is 6-0-0 with a league-leading 0.50 GAA, .984 save percentage and three shutouts. But he is just 6-9-2 with a 3.24 GAA and an .893 save percentage against Buffalo, losing his last five starts against the Sabres.
Tuukka Rask has struggled a bit in limited action at 0-2-0, 3.54 GAA and .894 save percentage, but he is an impressive 4-1-0 with a 1.43 GAA and a .954 save percentage against the Sabres. He also outdueled reigning Vezina winner Ryan Miller in last year's first-round playoff matchup.
For the Sabres, Miller is off to a surprisingly mediocre 3-5-2 start with a 2.71 GAA and a .903 save percentage. He's also battling a lower-body injury, so Patrick Lalime could get his second straight start despite an 0-2-0 record, 4.04 GAA and an .871 save percentage. Lalime is 10-6-3 with a 2.79 GAA and a .908 save percentage against Boston in his career.
Stat Sheet
Bruins
- The Bruins have the league's best penalty kill at 93.1 percent. Since allowing a goal to Phoenix on their first PK opportunity of the year in the season opener, the Bruins are 27-of-28 on the penalty kill, including 8-for-8 in the last two games. The only two power-play goals they've allowed have come in their only two losses, as Boston is 21-for-21 on the PK in its six wins.
- After allowing five goals in the season opener, the Bruins have given up just six goals combined in the seven games since. Boston has outscored its opponents 25-11 so far this year.
- Dennis Seidenberg is best known for his defensive play, and with 12 blocked shots in the last two games he's certainly living up to that reputation. But he's also been a surprising offensive contributor of late. With assists against the Rangers, Leafs and Senators, he's the only Bruin to collect a point in each of the last three games.
Sabres
- Towering defenseman Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy last year as the NHL's top rookie, but he's suffering a sophomore slump this season. After posting 11-37-48 totals and finishing second on the Sabres with a plus-13 last year, he has 3-1-4 totals and is a team-worst minus-10 in 12 games this season.
- Myers isn't the only Buffalo defenseman struggling. Captain Craig Rivet has been a healthy scratch the last two games after managing just one assist in nine games. He is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday.
- The Sabres are just 27th in the league on the penalty kill at 74.5 percent (11-for-48). That includes allowing a goal on a two-man advantage in each of the last three games, the first time Buffalo has given up 5-on-3 goals in three straight games since January 1977.
Infirmary Report
Bruins
- Defenseman Johnny Boychuk (fractured left forearm) is expected to miss another three weeks.
- Center Marc Savard (post-concussion syndrome) is out indefinitely.
- Left wing Marco Sturm (knee surgery) is expected to be out until at least late November.
- Center Trent Whitfield (ruptures Achilles) could miss the entire year.
Sabres
- Forward Nathan Gerbe (broken jaw) is out indefinitely.
- Goalie Ryan Miller (lower body) is questionable for Wednesday's game.
- Forward Jason Pominville (concussion) is expected to return after passing a neuropsych exam on his third try on Monday.
Familiar Faces
Buffalo defensemen Steve Montador and Shaone Morrisonn each played briefly for the Bruins, with Montador coming over at the trade deadline in 2009 and Morrisonn playing 41 games from 2002-04 after being drafted in the first round in 2001. He was traded to Washington for Sergei Gonchar in 2004, and signed with the Sabres this summer. Forward Mike Grier hails from Holliston, Mass., and played at Boston University, while Gerbe played at Boston College.
Bruins forward Daniel Paille was a first-round pick of the Sabres in 2002 and played 195 games with Buffalo before being traded to Boston last year. Bruins assistant coach Doug Houda played for the Sabres and coached their AHL affiliate in Rochester, while assistant GM Jim Benning spent 12 seasons in the Buffalo organization, serving as the Sabres' director of amateur scouting for eight years.
Fight Card
The Sabres have just three fights through 12 games, all by Cody McCormick. The Bruins maintained their fight-a-game pace when unlikely combatant Seidenberg was forced into a bout by Ottawa's Chris Neil on Saturday. Boston now has eight fights in as many games. Milan Lucic and Greg Campbell lead the way with two apiece, while Shawn Thornton, Nathan Horton and Mark Stuart each have one. Last year, the six games between the division rivals produced five fights, including three by Thornton, who took on Montadar, Paul Gaustad and Rivet. Lucic fought Adam Mair and Stuart battled Jochen Hecht. In the playoffs, Lucic scrapped with Rivet, Vladimir Sobotka fought Andrej Sekera and Zdeno Chara went after Gaustad, who did not receive a fighting major.
Outlook
The Bruins haven't allowed a goal to a division opponent so far this year, as they come in sporting a 159:12 shutout streak following back-to-back blankings of Toronto and Ottawa. The Sabres have been blunted for most of this year, but they remain a dangerous foe. They'll also have plenty of motivation as Buffalo looks to avenge last year's playoff loss. After a light workload in October, the Bruins begin a busy stretch with three games in the next four nights, and they'll look to get things started the right way by continuing their early success in the division against the Sabres.
