The Buffalo Sabres are 3-1-1 against the Boston Bruins this season and could leap into seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Boston Bruins tonight. The Rangers lost in regulation last night to the Anaheim Ducks while the Hurricanes lost in overtime to pull themselves even with the Sabres. The Sabres have three games in hand on the Rangers and one game in hand on the Hurricanes though. The Sabres still control their destiny to make the playoffs at this point and after how this team started this season, that seemed like an improbablity.
- Drew Stafford has four hat tricks this season and has scored two of them against the Bruins. His first came on December 15th in a 3-2 victory while the second came on New Year's Day in a 7-6 shootout win. He hasn't faced the Bruins since the last hat trick on January 1st.
- The Sabres will have Vanek, Hecht, and Grier back in the lineup while Jhonas Enroth is still with the team and will probably serve as the backup again. The Penguins shutdown the Sabres offense in the last game with a handful of AHLers in the lineup so having the veterans back is relieving to a point.
- Jordon Leopold and Tyler Myers are the first pair of Sabres defensemen to have double digit goals since 1989-90 when Phil Housley and Doug Bodger did it.
- This is the first game for the Bruins after the Pacioretty incident so you have to wonder if the distractions are going to affect their game. I can't believe that it would, but it still has to have an effect at some point.
Game time is 7:00 pm Eastern and can be found on MSG.