BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:
LAST GAME
Thursday, Dec. 29
Detroit 3 at Buffalo 6
Goals: Okposo (3), Mittelstadt (2), Skinner
Goalie: Luukkonen (28 saves/31 shots)
PP: 1/5; PK: 2/3; Shots: Buffalo 35 – Detroit 31
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 90)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Eric Comrie (Lower body, Nov. 19; IR) – 16 games
Henri Jokiharju (Lower body, Dec. 10; IR) – 6 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
12/29: Activated D Jacob Bryson from injured reserve; Placed D Lawrence Pilut on waivers
12/30: Loaned D Lawrence Pilut to the Rochester (AHL)
UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, Jan. 1: Buffalo at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 3: Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 7: Minnesota at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 9: Philadelphia at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 10: Seattle at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES AT BRUINS
• This is the second of four meetings between the Sabres and Bruins this season.
• Last meeting: Boston defeated Buffalo 3-1 in Buffalo on Nov. 12, 2022.
• Next meeting: Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Boston.
• The Sabres are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games against the Bruins; 1-7-2 on the road.
• This is the 310th game all-time between Buffalo and Boston; Buffalo has a 126-136-47 series record.
• The Sabres are 51-79-23 on the road against the Bruins all-time.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Entering play on Friday, Buffalo (4.00) and Boston (3.80) ranked first and second, respectively, in goals for per game played.
• The Sabres are riding a five-game winning streak, their longest since the team won 10 straight contests from Nov. 8 to 27, 2018.
• Buffalo has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 24-9 in that span.
• Kyle Okposo has recorded at least one point in each of his last three games and owns five points (4+1) in that span.
• A point in tonight’s game would give Okposo his seventh point streak of four or more games as a member of the Sabres.
• Tage Thompson has recorded 47 points (25+22) in his last 26 games.
• Dylan Cozens has tallied 24 points (7+17) in his last 20 games.
• Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 20 points (3+17) in his last 18 games.
• In his last 12 games, Jeff Skinner owns 23 points (12+11).
• Alex Tuch has notched 24 points (8+16) in his last 18 games.
BOSTON BRUINS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME
- The Bruins host the Sabres today in the 2nd of 4 games between these teams this season and the 1st of 2 Buffalo visits to TD Garden.
- They are 28-4-3 overall this season and are 18-0-2 on home ice … They are 16-3-1 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Bruins are playing today the 4th of 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 3-0-0 record in afternoon games so far.
- The Bruins host Buffalo today in closing out 2022 and will open 2023 hosting Pittsburgh on 1/2 in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park … They will then face a 3-game road trip to Los Angeles on 1/5, in San Jose on 1/7 and in Anaheim on 1/8.
RECENT GAMES:
- The Bruins are 7-0-2 in their last 9 games with wins vs Vegas (3-1 on 12/11), vs NY Islanders (4-3/SO on 12/13), vs Columbus (4-2 on 12/17), 7 vs Florida (7-3 on 12/19), vs Winnipeg (3-2 on 12/22), and in New Jersey both 4-3 on 12/23 and 3-1 on 12/28; and 3-2 shootout setbacks each to Los Angeles on 12/15 and Ottawa on 12/27.
- They are 11-1-3 in their last 15 games and are 18-2-3 in their last 23 contests.
- They are 18-0-2 in their 20 home games, including a 14-game home win streak, the longest from the start of a season in league history … That is the 2nd longest point streak from a season’s start in Boston annals to 1973-74’s 21-game stretch at 19-0-2 … This is their fifth longest home point streak overall in team history (4x) with their club mark a 26-0-1 stretch in 1970-71.
- Boston 4 at New Jersey 3 … The Bruins scored 4 straight 2nd period goals en route to the 4-3 victory with goals by Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak (2) and Jake DeBrusk (GWG+A) and 2A from David Krejci … Linus Ullmark extended his pt streak to 11-0-1 … SOG: Bos 23, NJ 40 … PP: 0/1 … PK: 1/2
- Boston 2 at Ottawa 3/SO … Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha scored but Ottawa prevailed in the shootout … Jeremy Swayman earned a point in net … SOG: Bos 51, Ott 33 … PP: 0/3 … PK: 1/2
- Boston 3 at New Jersey 1 … Trent Frederic, Patrice Bergeron (GW) and Pavel Zacha (EN) scored goals and Hampus Lindholm added 2A … Linus Ullmark earned his 2nd career 20-win mark with the victory … SOG: Bos 27, NJ 31 … PP: 0/3 … PK: 0/2
INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 36)
- None
BOSTON vs BUFFALO, LIFETIME SERIES
- The Bruins and Sabres are meeting for the 310th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 154-114-29-12 record and 1,002- 948 scoring advantage in those games.
- The Bruins are 88-46-14-5 lifetime vs. Buffalo at home with a 545-437 scoring edge in those 153 contests.
- The Bruins won the first game of this season’s series with a 3-1 win at Buffalo on 11/12 and they have won the last 7 games vs. the Sabres … They are 9-0-0 on their last 9 home games of the lifetime series.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Dec. 20: Craig Smith assigned to Providence/AHL (cleared waivers 12/19).
Dec. 21: Craig Smith recalled from Providence/AHL.
