Need To Know: Bruins At Sabers

BUFFALO –– The Boston Bruins are proper again at it.

After falling 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at TD Garden, the B’s will skate within the second recreation of a back-to-back on Wednesday at KeyBank Center towards the Buffalo Sabres. The 7:30 pm puck drop marks the fourth and closing time the groups will meet this common season; Boston has received two of the three earlier video games towards Buffalo.

“The good thing is, we had to move on really quickly. I think that’s a good thing, playing tonight against the hottest team in the league. I see it as a good thing,” head coach Marco Sturm stated.

The Sabers sit atop the Atlantic Division with 95 factors. The Bruins are at the moment within the first wild-card spot within the Eastern Conference with 86 factors.

“It’s a great opportunity, it’s a great challenge. We want to be in the mix – here’s our chance. I see it as a good thing, and that’s what I told the guys this morning. We should be excited for these kinds of moments right now,” Sturm stated. “How I know my team, they are going to try everything they possibly can to have a good night tonight and move forward.”

Wait, There’s More

Joonas Korpisalo will begin in internet for Boston. The goaltender final performed on March 16 towards the New Jersey Devils and made 30 saves. Korpisalo has a 3.30 objectives towards common and a .891 save proportion via 26 video games.

Casey Mittelstadt was a first-round choose for Buffalo within the 2017 NHL Draft. The 27-year-old ahead spent seven seasons with the Sabers earlier than getting traded to Colorado and finally touchdown in Boston. Mittelstadt has 36 factors (13 objectives, 23 assists) this 12 months with the B’s whereas on the second line with Pavel Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson.

Nikita Zadorov was additionally a first-round choose for the Sabers within the 2013 NHL Draft; the defenseman was with the group from 2013 to 2015. Zadorov has 19 factors (two objectives, 17 assists) this season. He is projected to skate on the third pair with Andrew Peeke, who’s reentering the lineup on Wednesday in Buffalo.

Opposing View

The Sabers most just lately fell 6-5 in additional time to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday at Honda Center. Alex Tuch, Josh Doan, Jack Quinn, Owen Power and Zach Benson scored within the loss, and netminder Alex Lyon made 27 saves. Buffalo has received 4 of its final 5 video games coming into Wednesday.

Tage Thompson leads the Sabers with 72 factors (36 objectives, 36 assists) via 71 video games this season. The 28-year-old ahead has been centering the primary line between Tuch and Peyton Krebs. Thompson can also be on the primary power-play unit and has 5 objectives on the person benefit.

Buffalo’s penalty kill ranks sixth within the league at 81.9%. Rasmus Dahlin – who leads all Sabers defensemen in factors – is on the PK. His 24:23 of ice time per night time is probably the most on the staff, and he has 65 factors (15 objectives, 50 assists) via 67 video games. Dahlin has been on the primary pair with Mattias Samuelsson, who’s a game-time determination.