November 12, 2011; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Andrej Sekera (44) fights with Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic (17) after Lucic charged Sabres goalie Ryan Miller (30) during the first period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins, fresh off their win over the Devils, will take on the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night at TD Garden. The Bruins fought hard this past Tuesday night for a comeback win in a shootout against the Devils. That game was the second game in a row for the Bruins, so the day off yesterday came at a great time to rest their legs.
The Bruins are off to a fantastic start this season. They are 5-0-1 and are atop the Eastern Conference with a total of eleven points. The Sabres on the other hand, have not started off so well with only two wins and five points on their record. The Bruins won the season series last season four to two, with three out of the six games going to a shoot out.
Looking back to last season, these teams definitely have some history. On November 12, 2011 the Sabres visited the Garden and it was a game that the two teams will definitely remember going into tonight’s game. Most fans will remember the collision between Milan Lucic and Ryan Miller. Miller seemed to beat Lucic to a puck on a breakaway and Lucic collided with him sending Miller down to the ice. This caused two Sabre players to go after Lucic in defense of their goalie. The Sabres have made some changes to their lineup by adding two heavy weight fighters, John Scott and Steve Ott. Both of these players don’t have the best offensive skills but their physical presence brings the teams energy to a new level. Don’t expect Buffalo to let the Bruins run over them. Certainly, both teams have by no means forgotten about this incident, and I expect this to be a very physical game tonight with maybe even a fight or two.
Despite Buffalo’s record, I think that this game will be a great one. Buffalo definitely has a lot of firepower, with Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville leading the way. The Bruins have arguably one of the hottest lines in the NHL early in the season. David Krejci, Milan Lucic, and Nathan Horton have been outstanding this year. The line has put up fifteen points this season with six goals and seven assists.
You can’t say anything about Buffalo and not mention how good Ryan Miller is. He is one of the top goalies in the league and is always tough to score against. Tuukka Rask seems to be stepping up in a big way this season so far, and this game should have some great saves in it. This will be a great goaltending battle and definitely a physical game, I can’t wait for the Bruins to get back on the ice and try to keep their undefeated home record perfect.