After Last Week's Loss, The B's Put The Sabres Back In Their Place-The Gutter-With A 5-2 Win

 

    I cannot get enough of these thrilling Bruins (29-14-6 overall, 15-6-3)-Sabres (13-31-7 overall, 7-15-3 road) games this season, who's with me? Haha just kidding, I am completely sick of watching Buffalo try to play hockey as I'm sure that you are too. Thankfully after tonight's 5-2 victory by the B's at the TD Garden, Boston improved to 6-1 against Buffalo in 2021 with only one matchup left on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN). Five different Bruins scored goals and goaltender Tuukka Rask (29 saves, 13-4-2) avenged last Friday's 6-4 loss in Buffalo with this victory. In the East Division playoff outlook, fourth-place Boston kept pace (only 1 point behind with a game in hand) with the third-place Islanders (30-15-5) who won 4-0 at the Rangers (26-19-6) tonight at Madison Square Garden. 

    The black and gold were all about the early and late goals in the first period as right wing David Pastrnak's one-timer gave them a 1-0 lead at 1:16. Center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand had the assists on Pasta's 19th goal of the season. Sabres center Casey Mittlestadt tied it at one when he put in a juicy rebound at 14:09 of the first period. Right wing Arttu Ruotsalainen and left wing Rasmus Asplund picked up the assists on Mittlestadt's 10th goal of the season. Buzzer beaters are typically present in basketball games and not hockey but that was flipped tonight as Krejci scored a one-timer with less than one second left in the first period. BU's Charlie McAvoy and Craig Smith had the assists on Krejci's power play goal (his 8th goal of the season).  

    After no goals in the second period, things got tense for a bit in the third period as the Sabres tied it again. Right wing Sam Reinhardt found himself alone in front of Rask and left wing Victor Olofsson hit him with a pass from behind the net thru traffic. Buffalo's leading goal-scorer didn't skip a beat as left wing Jeff Skinner added the second assist on Reinhart's 23rd goal of the season at 1:43. BU's Charlie Coyle picked a great time to break his 28-game goalless streak with a sweet individual move and finish at 7:58. His sixth goal of the season was unassisted which seems fitting with how much he's been a ghost this season. Krejci continued to play great as he dangled around two helpless Sabres defensemen before feeding left wing Taylor Hall for the easy one-timer. Hall's seventh goal of the season (5th as a Bruin) was also assisted by right wing Craig Smith at 16:43. Marshy's empty-netter and team-high 27th goal of the season at 1826 made it 5-2 in favor of the road team.