Sabres at Bruins
The Boston Bruins squeezed out a shootout win at Buffalo on Thursday night in the first leg of a home-and-home set, but playing the back end in their own arena doesn't exactly translate to an advantage. The Bruins will look to reverse their season-long struggles at TD Garden when they host the Sabres in Saturday night's rematch.
"The best thing about this league is you get another opportunity," Buffalo forward Sam Reinhart said. "Even better, it's against those guys in Boston in a couple days so we're going to prepare and focus on playing these guys again." The Sabres are similar to the Bruins in one regard, playing markedly better on the road (12-11-2) than at home (9-15-3). Boston has dropped seven of its last 10 games (3-6-1) at home, including a 6-3 loss to Buffalo on Dec. 26. The Bruins' 16 road victories are second only to NHL-best Washington, but they are a mediocre 11-13-3 at TD Garden.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE SABRES (21-26-5): Buffalo's win over the Bruins in December served as a homecoming party for rookie Jack Eichel, who scored a pair of goals and set up two others in the city where he starred collegiately at Boston University. Ryan O'Reilly leads the Sabres in goals (17) and points (42), but has not tallied in 11 games. "It’s something I’m trying to figure out. I don’t why I’m not having success," O'Reilly said. "Maybe it’s just back to reality and maybe I’m not the goal scorer I thought I was. I have to find a new way because these are key points that we need, and I have to help."
ABOUT THE BRUINS (26-18-6): Forward Brad Marchard extended his torrid stretch, netting the tying goal in the third period Thursday for his eighth tally in the past eight games. It was the 23rd goal for Marchand, leaving him one shy of last season's total and within five of his career high (2011-12). “I think I could still improve some areas in my game defensively, and at times I can force things a little too much," Marchand said. "But that normally happens when I feel confident about my game, and things are going well for me. So if I can still play smart and clean things up defensively, it can help us even more.”
OVERTIME
1. Boston has not scored a power-play goal in eight of its last nine games and is 0-for-12 in the past three.
2. Eichel has eight points in his last eight games.
3. Marchand's goal Thursday was his 14th versus the Sabres, his most against any opponent.