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NHL: Sabres Visit Boston Today

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Buffalo at Boston
When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 31, 2016
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Mass

BOSTON – (Special to Digital Sports Desk by The Sports Xchange) – One could understand if the Boston Bruins are lamenting the fact that Saturday’s matchup against the visiting Buffalo Sabres is the last of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals. Boston has won the first three meetings by a combined 10-3 score as it seeks a sweep of the season series in the second leg of a home-and-home in a matinee at TD Garden.

Buffalo lost for the fifth time in six games (1-3-2) after coughing up an early two-goal lead in Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Bruins. “You take a two-goal lead any night after a period and you think you’re going to get a point,” said Sabres coach Bylsma, who called the opening 20 minutes his team’s “best” of the season. Ryan Spooner scored a pair of third-period goals to cap the comeback for Boston, which continues to thrive on the road. The Bruins enter Saturday’s matchup with an 11-6-4 record away from home as opposed to an 8-9-0 mark at TD Garden.

Claude Julien

TV: 1 p.m. ET, MSG-B (Buffalo), NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE SABRES (13-14-8): Jack Eichel grew up outside Boston and played collegiately at Boston University before Buffalo selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Eichel enjoyed the best game of his career in his first professional appearance at TD Garden a year ago, lighting up the Bruins for two goals and two assists. Rookie William Carrier sustained a gash on his hand in a fight with Adam McQuaid following the heavy hit on David Backes, prompting the Sabres to call up Justin Bailey from Rochester of the American Hockey League.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (19-15-4): Backes is not expected to play Saturday after he absorbed a blindside hit to the head from Carrier, knocking him out of Thursday’s game and forcing him to miss Friday’s practice session. “He’s being assessed today and (the organization) should produce something when they know more,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “Obviously he’s seeing the doctors and he’s seeing everybody else. That’s all I have.” Frank Vatrano will take Backes’ spot on a line with Spooner and David Krejci, who had a goal and assist Thursday.

OVERTIME

1. Krecji has two goals and three assists during a three-game point streak.

2. Sabres F Matt Moulson ended a five-game point drought with a pair of assists Thursday.

3. Bruins G Tuukka Rask is 12-5-1 against the Sabres after beating them for the third time this season.

NHL: Bruins Defeat Sabres

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Boston 4, Buffalo 2
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 29, 2016
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Attendance: 19,070

BUFFALO – (Special to Digital Sports Desk by Sports Xchange) -The Boston Bruins had another slow start out of the gates Thursday night, but were able to overcome it.

Ryan Spooner scored the game-winner with 3:53 remaining and added an empty-net goal with 51.5 seconds remaining to lead the Bruins to a 4-2 comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Boston trailed 2-0.

“I felt like we showed lots of character,” Bruins center David Krejci said.

Ryan Spooner

Krejci and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins (19-15-4). On the game-winner, Spooner received a pass from Krejci and ripped a one-timer from the middle of the ice.

“We showed that we can battle back,” said goaltender Tuukka Rask, who was terrific in making 31 saves. “The really good thing was that we battled back in the second and then in the third we just took it to them. We weren’t afraid to lose the game, we wanted to win it.”

Slow starts have been a problem this season for the Bruins. Heading into the game, Boston was 1-6-2 when trailing after 20 minutes. In Boston’s past 12 games, the Bruins fell behind by two goals or more on six different occasions, and this was the first time they came away with a victory after falling behind over that stretch.

“Yeah, it’s kind of a trend here,” Spooner said. “As a team I’m not really sure what’s going on but it’s something we need to discuss. The second and third have been great for us, but the first has been an issue.”

Marcus Foligno and Kyle Okposo scored for the Sabres (13-14-8), who wasted one of their best periods of the season. Robin Lehner made 34 saves.

“That was a great first period,” Foligno said. “That was probably our best period all year, with the emotion, goals and just the way we came out hitting. It’s frustrating. We talk about starts, we get it. We just don’t have a good finish.”

Foligno began Buffalo’s strong start by scoring at 1:32. Following a strong Buffalo forecheck, Foligno snapped a quick shot from the left circle for his fifth goal of the season.

Things got chippy as the first period progressed. Bruins right winger David Backes left the game with 5:07 remaining in the first period after a hard hit by William Carrier. The Sabres left wing was given a penalty for an illegal check to the head.

The Bruins looked for retribution on Carrier two minutes later, but the move backfired. Defenseman Adam McQuaid started a fight with Carrier, which was quickly broken up by officials, and McQuaid was given an additional two-minute penalty for instigating and a 10-minute misconduct.

Carrier suffered a hand injury during the fight and did not return.

Buffalo took a 2-0 lead on the ensuing power play. Okposo’s quick strike from the right circle increased the Sabres’ lead with 1:50 left in the period.

“Certainly you take a two-goal lead any night after a period and you think you’re going to get a point,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said.

The Bruins bounced back at the start of the second period, striking quickly at 3:20 on Patrice Bergeron’s sixth goal of the year. Following a faceoff win, center Brad Marchand spotted Bergeron in the slot, and Bergeron lifted a quick one-timer.

Krejci evened the score on the power play with 3:47 remaining in the second. With Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges in the box for tripping, Krejci grabbed a loose puck from close range and scored on a backhand shot for his eighth goal of the year.

The Bruins had the upper hand in the third, outshooting Buffalo 13-7.

The teams meet again Saturday in Boston.

“It should give us a boost for the next game but we have to focus and be ready from the puck drop, not just when we’re down a couple goals,” Krejci said.

NOTES: D Dmitry Kulikov (lower back) and C Ryan O’Reilly (appendectomy) were scratched for the Sabres. Kulikov is considered day-to-day after his back flared up once again. “It’s something that Dmitry’s dealt with for a long time,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. “It just flared up over (the Christmas) break, the three days off, and going into the (previous) game kind of flared up a little bit. We’re hopeful that not playing in this game he’ll get better and he’ll get some recovery and get back.” … RW Jimmy Hayes, D Joe Morrow and C Noel Acciari were scratched for the Bruins.

Game Scout: Bruins at Sabres

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Boston at Buffalo
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 29, 2016
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo

BUFFALO – (Special to Digital Sports Desk by Sport Xchange) – The Boston Bruins have played markedly better on the road than at home, although they have enjoyed success against the next opponent no matter the venue. The Bruins will wrap up a four-game road trip with a visit to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, looking to notch their sixth consecutive victory in the series against their Atlantic Division rival.

Boston, which will host the Sabres on Saturday in the second leg of the home-and-home, also has won its last five games in Buffalo – permitting a mere six goals in that span. The Bruins are coming off consecutive one-goal defeats, including a 4-3 setback at white-hot Columbus on Tuesday night. The Sabres, who snapped a four-game skid (0-2-2) with a 4-3 victory at Detroit on Tuesday, are six points behind third-place Boston in the division with three games in hand. “They’re within earshot,” Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma said of the Bruins. “You have a chance of sweeping these two games … and putting yourself right near them.”

Jack Eichel

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MSG-B (Buffalo)

ABOUT THE BRUINS (18-15-4): Boston trailed by three goals less than 10 minutes into Tuesday’s matchup against a Columbus squad that was seeking its 13th straight win, but showed its mettle by battling back with three unanswered tallies. One bright spot for the Bruins was the play of David Krejci, who scored the tying goal and set up another score while unleashing a game-high eight shots on goal. “David was really good, to start with,” Boston coach Claude Julien said of Krejci. “I thought David was skating well, making things happen.”

ABOUT THE SABRES (13-13-8): Buffalo had allowed the opposition to score first in seven straight games before Evander Kane netted the first of his two goals in Detroit and capped the victory with the game-winning tally. “That’s the momentum we have to build into our game and build it right from the start, use our fans, use our building to gain momentum,” Bylsma said after earning his 300th career victory. Reinforcements could be on the way for the Sabres, with defenseman Cody Franson practicing fully Wednesday after missing the last three games.

OVERTIME

1. Bruins G Tuukka Rask has permitted one goal in two games versus the Sabres this season and is 11-5-1 against them lifetime.

2. All eight of Kane’s goals this season have come in the past 11 games.

3. Bruins D Torey Krug has five assists during a three-game point streak.

NHL: Bs Back After Break

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Boston at Columbus
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus

The Christmas break couldn’t come at a better time for most NHL teams but perhaps not for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who will be hoping the three days off will not slow the momentum of the best run in franchise history. The rampaging Blue Jackets take aim at their 13th consecutive victory when they play host to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Red-hot Columbus has surged to the top of the NHL standings on the heels of a 12-game winning streak, capped by back-to-back victories over defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh and Atlantic Division-leading Montreal. “They should feel very proud of where they are at right now,” coach John Tortorella said of the Blue Jackets, who also are riding a 14-game point streak. Although it’s hardly a string that can rival that of Columbus, Boston has earned points in seven straight games away from home (3-0-4) as it resumes a four-game road trip. The Bruins have flexed their offensive muscles in winning both matchups against the Blue Jackets this season, scoring 11 goals and winning at Columbus 6-3 in the season opener.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, NESN (Boston), FSN Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE BRUINS (18-14-4): Boston went into the break with a sour taste in its mouth, squandering a two-goal lead in a 3-2 overtime loss at Carolina to fall to 10-5-4 on the road. Their success against Columbus notwithstanding, the Bruins rank 25th in the NHL with a meager average of 2.31 goals per game. “We’ve been frustrated for a while,” said defenseman Torey Krug, who collected a pair of assists against the Hurricanes. “We can’t score more than two goals right now, and we know if we give up more than two it’s tough for us to win.”

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (23-5-4): The cannon was firing regularly at Nationwide Arena in Thursday’s 7-1 demolition of Pittsburgh, but Columbus posted a more tradition 2-1 win over Montreal behind a 36-save performance for Sergei Bobrovsky. “It’s the most important position in hockey. We have probably one of the best goalies in the league here, so it has helped us quite a bit during this little streak,” Tortorella said. Bobrovsky has won 10 straight starts, but he’s never beaten Boston (0-4-2, 3.42 goals-against average) in seven appearances.

OVERTIME

1. Bruins G Tuukka Rask is 7-2-0 with a 1.99 GAA against the Blue Jackets, including the two victories this season.

2. Blue Jackets F Cam Atkinson leads the team with 15 goals and owns a career-best nine-game point streak.

3. Columbus’ previous high point total at Christmas was 37.

Hurricanes OT Bruins

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Carolina 3, Boston 2
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, December 23, 2016
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
Attendance: 12.924

RALEIGH – Special to Digital Sports Desk by Sports Xchange) – Teuvo Teravainen did something he had never done and he enjoyed the rewards. He scored an overtime goal, sending the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 comeback victory against the Boston Bruins on Friday night at PNC Arena.

“First overtime goal ever,” said Teravainen, a 22-year-old right winger. “I never scored one (at any level). It’s a pretty cool feeling.”

Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk scored in regulation for Carolina, which is 9-0-1 in its last 10 home games.

The Hurricanes (15-11-7) have a three-game winning streak and a five-game points streak.

“We’re comfortable with where our team game is,” Carolina coach Bill Peters said.

The Hurricanes are 4-7 in games decided in overtime, but they’ve won four times in 10 outings when they’ve trailed after two periods.

Brad Marchand

Ryan Spooner and Brad Marchand scored in regulation for Boston, which led 2-0 and dominated for stretches of the game. The Bruins fell to 15-0-1 when leading after two periods this season.

“It’s pretty frustrating,” Bruins defenseman Torey Krug said. “We were in control. It’s two games in a row the third period we weren’t playing aggressive. We started panicking.”

Carolina goalie Cam Ward, playing for the second night in a row after the team’s four-day layoff, made 31 saves.

“We scratched and clawed because it wasn’t pretty out there,” Ward said. “It’s a great feeling to finish that one off.”

Anton Khudobin made 20 saves for the Bruins in only his eighth outing of the season, but his third appearance in Boston’s last five games. He has only one win seven decisions.

Teravainen’s tally was the only shot on goal in overtime for either team, coming with 1:59 remaining in the extra session. He has nine goals this season, with four of them coming this month.

“I was coming (toward the net) and seeing if I had something,” he said of the final sequence during which he burst into the offensive zone and veered to the left for a shooting angle.

The Bruins (18-14-4) were aiming for their third victory in their last four games after a 1-3-1 stretch, but instead were stuck with frustration going into the holiday break.

“With the condensed schedule, it has been hard on everybody,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “We’ll be (in need of) the break and then they have to be ready to get back to work.”

The Hurricanes picked up the pace by holding a 10-4 lead in third-period shots.

A few minutes into the third period, Boston had a 31-13 advantage in shots but the Hurricanes went on a power play 4:42 into the period. Carolina produced four shots in the next two minutes without scoring.

But six seconds later, Faulk converted off a faceoff with 13:12 remaining after receiving a pass from Elias Lindholm. Faulk has four goals in the last five games.

Staal cut Carolina’s deficit to 2-1 midway through the second period with a short-handed goal, negating much of Boston’s dominance across the first 30 minutes.

Spooner opened the scoring, with the last three of his four goals this season coming in road games. That gave Boston 22 first-period goals this season, the same number it has allowed in the opening 20 minutes of games.

Marchand’s 10th goal came when he redirected Spooner’s blast on a second-period power play. It was Marchand’s second power-play tally this season.

The Bruins had 15 shots in the first 13 minutes, but only one goal to show for it. Their shot advantage grew to 28-12 through two periods.

It was Staal’s second goal in five games since returning from a concussion.

NOTES: The Hurricanes announced that the makeup date from Monday night’s scheduled home matchup with Detroit is March 27. Ice problems caused this week’s game to be nixed. … After making his season debut with the Bruins on Thursday night, C Frank Vatrano was in the lineup again. He had foot surgery in September. … G Eddie Lack was the backup for Carolina, suiting up at home for the first time in more than a month because of a concussion sustained in practice. … Boston’s next game is Tuesday at Columbus, marking the third of four consecutive road games. … The Hurricanes are back in action Wednesday at Pittsburgh.

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