Jan 28, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29) tries to block a shot by Buffalo Sabres center Ryan McLeod (71) during the second period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Buffalo Sabres (26-33-6) vs. Boston Bruins (30-30-8)
Puck Drop: 7:00 pm Eastern Time | TD Garden | Boston, Mass.
TV: MSG, ESPN +
Record: 30-30-8 | 68 PTS
Last Game: 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay
Division Ranking: 7th in the Atlantic Division
PP: 15.1% (29th) Sabres 17.2% (27th)
PK: 76.6% (21st) Sabres 76.1% (23rd)
As I research this game thread article, it is quite shocking to see Boston where they are as a team. The Bruins are 7th!!! in the Atlantic and are a shell of the team they were 2 years ago. Or even last year. They are below Ottawa, Detroit and Montreal in the standings. Gone are big names Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic and the Rat himself, Brad Marchand among several others. Of course, Boston was falling off long before their trade deadline fire sale. They are currently a .500 hockey club with poor special teams that rival the Sabres. The Bruins are retooling for sure, not a full rebuild but a good sized changeover. They did bring in former Buffalo players Casey Mittlestadt and Henri Jokiharju at the deadline. But this team does not have the same identity they once had. This off season will be interesting for Boston as they try to get younger still, yet relevant again.
Since their six game slide, the Sabres have edged out two Western Conference power houses, the Oilers and the Golden Knights. Oddly enough, they rode a little luck against Edmonton and outworked Vegas. But they also got blasted in Detroit in a game to forget. Buffalo can’t seem to get a full lineup going, as 2 or 3 players rotate in and out every game. One player returns to the team as another goes out with injury. Presently, the 3 injured in question are JJ Peterka, Josh Norris and now Jiri Kulich. Peterka seems the most promising to play tonight but we shall have to wait and see.
On offense, Tage Thompson has been motoring along with 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games. Alex Tuch has hit a small speed bump recently, pointless in his last 2 games. But he was scoring goals in bunches for a few weeks before that. Tuch did have the winning goal in the shootout against Vegas though. Ryan McLeod has 5 points in his last 5 games, playing sound, smart hockey for Buffalo. The team needs some of that injured firepower back soon though.
As the games dwindle down, we all hope to see more effort and unity like that Vegas game. No matter what the off season brings, some positives can be carried over. There are many things to like on this Sabres team, even with the problems that plague them nightly. I love seeing the players have each other’s backs lately. Playing more like a family unit than just an assembled roster. I hope they develop an “Us against the world” mentality next season and just take it to the NHL. They will need upgrades all over still, some experienced players and management would sure help. But the players that are here now need to take a stand and say enough is enough. And they need to play like they mean it.
*UPDATE* Isak Rosen and Brett Murray have been recalled from Rochester. It seems none of the 3 injured Sabres will made it into the lineup tonight. JJ Peterka is very close but he will probably wait and suit up against Utah on Thursday. Kulich is being evaluated in concussion protocol. Josh Norris traveled with the team and they hope to get him back later in the trip. Meanwhile, the lineups for tonight are inconsistent across various sources, it’s anyone’s guess. Buffalo is shorthanded for sure, having more than 50 goals this season out tonight. (Norris 21, Peterka 19, Kulich 12) This article was submitted for publication at 11am today.
Forwards
Jordan Greenway – Tage Thompson – Alex TuchZach Benson – Ryan McLeod – Jason ZuckerBrett Murray – Peyton Krebs – Jack Quinn/ Isak Rosen
Beck Malenstyn – Tyson Kozak – Sam Lafferty
Defense
Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus DahlinOwen Power – Connor Clifton
Bowen Byram – Jacob Bryson
(Bernard-Docker)
Goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, James Reimer
Forwards
Morgan Geekie – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak Cole Koepke– Casey Mittelstadt – Vinni Lettieri Marat Khusnutdinov– Elias Lindholm – Jakub Lauko
John Beecher –Patrick Brown – Mark Kastelic
Defense
Nikita Zadorov – Henri JokiharjuMason Lohrei – Andrew Peeke
Parker Wotherspoon – Ian Mitchell
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo
