Game 2 of the Boston Bruins’ home-and-home series against the Buffalo Sabres sure was entertaining.
After taking Game 1 with a 3-0 victory at First Niagara Center on Friday, Boston topped Buffalo once again Sunday with a 3-2 win at TD Garden. The Bruins winning streak now sits at three games, with two wins coming against the Sabres.
David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk (twice) scored for the Bruins. Rasmus Ristolainen and Curtis Lazar scored for the Sabres.
Tuukka Rask pushed away 24 shots, while Linus Ullmark blocked 19.
The Bruins improve to 24-7-9 while the Sabres fall to 17-16-7.
Here’s how it all went down:
BOSTON LANDS FIRST PUNCH
Buffalo had an early edge, but Boston scored first.
The B’s wound up on the penalty kill nearly three minutes in after getting called for too many men on the ice, but some quality defense and solid goaltending helped keep things scoreless early.
Pastrnak put Boston on the board first on a nifty tic-tac-toe play, earning his league-leading 29th goal in the process. Brad Marchand notched his team-leading 39th assist on the play.
Bergeron âž¡ Marchand âž¡ Pastrnak……….yup pic.twitter.com/H6ue6OyDLM
— NESN (@NESN) December 30, 2019
The Sabres went back on the power play after Chris Wagner was called for tripping Brandon Montour with 3:25 on the clock, but couldn’t capitalize.
Despite entering the second period down a goal, the Sabres outshot the Bruins 7-2 in the first. (That’s the fewest shots on goal for Boston in the opening 20 minutes this season.)
BUFFALO PUSHES BACK
The Sabres’ persistence paid off in the second.
Buffalo pushed back nearly six-and-a-half minutes into the period, knotting things at one goal apiece on Ristolainen’s fourth goal of the season.
Whatta finish ?#Sabres50 | @rasmrist55 pic.twitter.com/QfLLBpnBcV
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 30, 2019
Boston went 0-for-3 on the power play, missing several quality chances to break the tie. Buffalo continued to outshoot the Bruins 19-13 through two frames.
It was announced late in the period that Connor Clifton would not return to the game after sustaining an upper-body injury. He recorded just 5:52 of ice time.
JAKE DEBRUSK SEALS IT
Once again, Boston began the period on the man advantage.
This time, the B’s had a four-minute power play after Larsson was called for tripping and hooking 1:23 into the period. And DeBrusk took full advantage of the opportunity, scoring two power-play goals in a matter of 18 seconds all on his own.
#CELLYSZN: Part II@JDebrusk | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/DHl2ZyCR1N
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 30, 2019
Lazar made it a one-goal game on a delayed penalty less than three minutes later with his second goal of the season.
The Sabres had a chance to tie things up with four minutes to play after Brett Richie was called for tripping, but Boston kept Buffalo at bay. Jack Eichel exited the game late in the third for chirping at an official.
The Sabres pulled Ullmark at the 2:01 mark to gain the extra attacker but wound up on the penalty kill with just 17 seconds on the clock instead.
And that’s all the Bruins needed for the win.
UP NEXT
The Bruins will visit the lowly New Jersey Devils on Tuesday in their final game of the decade. Tip-off from Prudential Center slated for 1 p.m. ET.
