Overview
- Buffalo has won seven straight since Dec. 8, pulling within one point of Boston in the Atlantic and Eastern wild-card races.
- Defenseman Bowen Byram capped a two-goal, one-assist outing with the overtime winner against Ottawa, his third game-winner this season.
- The Sabres’ penalty kill is at 84.5% (No. 2 in the NHL), with Rasmus Dahlin tied for ninth among defensemen with 28 points as the blue line drives offense.
- Boston ended a five-game homestand 0-3-1 and has yielded at least five goals in four of its past six, including back-to-back six-goal games against.
- Discipline remains a problem for the Bruins with 193 penalties—25 more than any other team—heading into Saturday’s third meeting in Buffalo, where Boston won the last matchup 4-3 in overtime; no injuries were listed for either team.