Officials
Referees Mitch Dunning (20), Gord Dwyer (19)
Linesmen Mark Shewchyk (92), Bevan Mills (53)
TODAY’S GAME - The Bruins visit the Sabres today in the 4th and final game between these teams this season and the 2nd of 2 Boston visits to KeyBank Center. - They are 52-11-5 overall this season and they are 25-8-2 on the road ... The Bruins are 28-7-3 vs Eastern Conference opponents. - This is the 12th 50-win season in Bruins history ... It is their second straight 50-win campaign and the most since 4 straight from 1970-71—1973-74 ... The total at the 64-game mark were the fastest 50 wins in NHL history. - The Bruins play today their 13th of 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 9-2- 1 record in afternoon games so far. - The Bruins play this weekend their 11th of 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 9-0-2 in the 1st game of those sets and are 7-3-0 in the 2nd games so far. - The Bruins conclude their 5-game road trip (2-2-0) today in Buffalo ... They will next return home to host Ottawa on 3/21, Montreal on 3/23 and Tampa Bay on 3/25.
MILESTONES APPROACHING - Matt Grzelcyk is 2 assists short of his 100th NHL assist. - A.J. Greer is 3 games shy of his 100th NHL game.
INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 97) - Derek Forbort – Lower body - Taylor Hall: Lower body (LTIR) - Nick Foligno: Lower body (IR)
BOSTON vs BUFFALO, LIFETIME SERIES - The Bruins and Sabres are meeting for the 312th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 155-114-29-13 record and 1,012-953 scoring advantage in those games. - The Bruins are 89-46-14-6 lifetime vs. Buffalo at home with a 555-442 scoring edge in those 155 contests. - The Bruins are 8-0-1 in their last 9 games vs. the Sabres.
The Buffalo Sabres are hoping to improve their slim playoff chances when they skate against the visiting Boston Bruins on Sunday.Referees Mitch Dunning (20), Gord Dwyer (19)
Linesmen Mark Shewchyk (92), Bevan Mills (53)
TODAY’S GAME - The Bruins visit the Sabres today in the 4th and final game between these teams this season and the 2nd of 2 Boston visits to KeyBank Center. - They are 52-11-5 overall this season and they are 25-8-2 on the road ... The Bruins are 28-7-3 vs Eastern Conference opponents. - This is the 12th 50-win season in Bruins history ... It is their second straight 50-win campaign and the most since 4 straight from 1970-71—1973-74 ... The total at the 64-game mark were the fastest 50 wins in NHL history. - The Bruins play today their 13th of 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 9-2- 1 record in afternoon games so far. - The Bruins play this weekend their 11th of 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 9-0-2 in the 1st game of those sets and are 7-3-0 in the 2nd games so far. - The Bruins conclude their 5-game road trip (2-2-0) today in Buffalo ... They will next return home to host Ottawa on 3/21, Montreal on 3/23 and Tampa Bay on 3/25.
MILESTONES APPROACHING - Matt Grzelcyk is 2 assists short of his 100th NHL assist. - A.J. Greer is 3 games shy of his 100th NHL game.
INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 97) - Derek Forbort – Lower body - Taylor Hall: Lower body (LTIR) - Nick Foligno: Lower body (IR)
BOSTON vs BUFFALO, LIFETIME SERIES - The Bruins and Sabres are meeting for the 312th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 155-114-29-13 record and 1,012-953 scoring advantage in those games. - The Bruins are 89-46-14-6 lifetime vs. Buffalo at home with a 555-442 scoring edge in those 155 contests. - The Bruins are 8-0-1 in their last 9 games vs. the Sabres.
With 14 games remaining in their regular season, the Sabres (33-29-6, 72 points) will need a strong finish to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
The Sabres didn't help themselves when they dropped a 5-2 decision to Philadelphia on Friday night. It was Buffalo's eighth loss in its last 11 games.
"We gotta get hot," Buffalo captain Kyle Okposo said. "We gotta get really hot. We gotta go on a run without compromising our foundation and what we're building and we're not going to have guys go off on their own page. We need to stick together. We need to play together."
Boston (52-11-5, 109 points) has the NHL's best record and is coming off Saturday's 5-2 victory against Minnesota. Sunday's game will be the final stop for Boston on a five-game road trip. The Bruins are 2-2 through the first four games.
Minnesota entered Saturday's game unbeaten (11-0-3) in its previous 14 contests.
"I liked the fact that we played a good 60 minutes," Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. "We had a little bit of a hunter's mentality trying to end their streak."
Brad Marchand collected three assists against the Wild.
"It was a good test for us," Marchand said. "They've been playing really well. We haven't had many games lately where we've really played our way and played consistently through 60 minutes. Thought we did a good job of that. We didn't have any letdowns throughout the game and when we had to come up big, we did."
Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort didn't play against the Wild and isn't expected to suit up against the Sabres, either. Forbort left Boston's 3-0 victory over Winnipeg on Thursday after blocking a shot midway through the second period and did not return.
Buffalo fans may soon get a glimpse of the team's future since the organization signed 21-year-old goaltender Devon Levi to a three-year contract on Friday. Levi recently completed his junior season at Northeastern University and led Hockey East with 14 victories, six shutouts, a 1.81 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage.
Florida selected Levi in the 2020 NHL Draft, but the Sabres acquired him in a trade that sent forward Sam Reinhart to the Panthers in 2021. Levi is expected to make his NHL debut this season.
"We just thought for his development, where we are right now, this was a critical time for him to learn and grow with us," Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams said. "And that he's coming right in.
"We first (have) to get him up to speed and get him around the guys, get him comfortable. You want to set players up for success. You want to put them in a situation that you believe they can thrive. We're open to it and we'll go day by day, and once we feel that he's comfortable and where he needs to be, then we'll see where we're at."
Boston won two of the previous three meetings against the Sabres this season, and outscored Buffalo 13-6 in those three games. The Sabres are scoreless in nine power-play opportunities against the Bruins this season.
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