The Boston Bruins face the Buffalo Sabres with both teams on the opposite ends of the Atlantic Division. The Bruins have a 12-2 record and with back-to-back wins, boast the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres have a 7-7 record but with a four-game losing streak, have fallen to the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Both teams are looking to improve in the division and the Eastern Conference, making the upcoming game a pivotal one for both teams.
The Bruins are off to a great start to the season with their offense stepping up and scoring 4.00 goals per game. David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron have scored 14 goals and 20 assists to lead the top line but the entire offense has been great. Jake DeBrusk, Brad Marchand, and Taylor Hall have scored 14 goals and 13 assists while defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Connor Clifton have added five goals and 15 assists from the point to put the offense over the top.
The offense has looked great but the defense has carried the Bruins, allowing only 2.29 goals per game including only six goals in the last four games. Lindholm and Clifton have combined for 2.8 defensive point shares and 35 blocked shots while Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk have combined for 1.6 defensive point shares and 31 blocked shots to give the Bruins two dynamic pairings. In addition, Linus Ullmark has been great in the net with a .936 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average on 342 shots.