Event: Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Location: First Niagara Center (Capacity: 18,690), Buffalo, N.Y.
Broadcast Info: Wednesday's game between the Bruins and the Sabres will be broadcast live on NBC Sports and TSN2. The game can also be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Dave Goucher providing play-by-play, and Bob Beers providing analysis.
Last Time Out: After falling two games in a row to Carolina and the Penguins, the Bruins were able to come back against the Capitals, notching a 4-1 win and taking in some momentum coming into tonight’s game.
The usual names found the back of the net, including Tyler Seguin, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Rich Peverley. Seguin now leads the team with 20 goals, while Lucic and Marchand trail just behind with 19 goals each.
Tim Thomas improved his season record and his personal against the Capitals, stopping 35 Washington shots.
The Sabres have had their own troubles this year, losing six of their last nine games. However, they did manage to take their last game on Saturday, winning 4-3 in a shootout against the New York Islanders.
They fell 3-1 in the first period, but came back to tie it and take it in the shootout, courtesy of Jason Pominville.
Nathan Gerbe, Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad each scored in the game as well.
Storyline: This will be the third meeting between these two teams, and there have been some fireworks in every game they have played so far. Everything from Lucic hitting Miller in the first game, to Gaustad coming back to try and make amends by standing up to Lucic.
Tonight’s game has a little bit different, and it’s been a while since these two teams saw each other.
The Sabres currently sit last in the division and second to last in the conference while the Bruins are still one of the top teams in the league.
Players To Watch: While Buffalo’s head coach Lindy Ruff has not been cleared to join the bench after he was left with three broken ribs in a weird on-ice accident during practice, both the Bruins and the Sabres will be left a little shorthanded going into tonight’s game.
Once again the Bruins will be without forward Nathan Horton who is still out with a mild concussion, while the Sabres sit day-to-day with Thomas Vanek.
Vanek has a goal in each of the first two games against the Bruins, so that is certainly a blow if he is not in the lineup tonight.
Prediction: The Bruins showed that they can still score and put up big numbers in three full frames. If they can continue along that trend, they will most definitely find success against Buffalo. Final Score: Bruins 5, Sabres 2.
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