Main storyline: In a divisional battle, the Sabres host the Bruins for what should be a physical matchup. Buffalo are looking to recover from a tough loss while Boston are trying to recover from a slow start as well.
Season series: This is the first of four games between the two teams. Boston will make both of their visits to the First Niagara Center this month. After that, the Sabres will be in Boston once each in December and March.
Where they stand: The Sabres are in 8th in the Atlantic Division after falling to Florida on Friday night. They were shutout for the first time this season, and will have to be better against Boston. The Bruins sit in 5th with a 2-4 start, but their record is almost meaningless when these teams meet.
Recent performance: After Jhonas Enroth led the Sabres to victory in a shootout against Carolina, the Sabres goaltender showed up again, making 34 saves. However, Buffalo fell 1-0 to the Panthers and dropped to last place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins are finishing up a three game road trip tonight. They split the first two games, defeating the Red Wings 3-2, but dropping a contest to the Canadiens, 6-4.
Buffalo notes: The Sabres were outshot by a heavy margin once again on Friday and were unable to help out their goaltender, who also took a decent hit from Scottie Upshall. A 1-4 start has the Sabres in a tough spot early on. “We’re trying to find ourselves & what kind of team we are. We’ve got to be a hardworking team.”
Opponent notes: The Bruins are coming off a loss to Montreal and after a slow 2-4 start, things are expected to get physical against the Sabres. Boston have scored three or more goals just twice so far. The Bruins haven’t played since Thursday, while Buffalo are on short rest.
Conclusion: Ted Nolan stated the Sabres need to be better and get more shots. We’ll see if Buffalo can do that as they host the Bruins tonight for the first of four meetings. Tonight’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be seen on MSG.