Game 19

Buffalo Sabres (7-9-2) vs. Boston Bruins (9-6-0)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, NY

TV: MSG

Radio: WGR 550

SB Nation Bruins Blog: Stanley Cup of Chowder

Know Your Opponent

Boston Bruins

Record: (9-6-0) | 18 PTS

Division Ranking: 5th in Atlantic

PP: 10th (21.7%)

PK: 12th (83.3%)

1. White Hot Tage

Tage Thompson has arguably morphed into the Buffalo Sabres most valuable player through these first 18 games.

Thompson has scored four goals in his last five games and has already eclipsed his career-high of 8 goals.

Last season, Thompson scored 8 goals in 38 games. This season, Thompson has 8 goals in 18 games.

If Thompson continues to develop in Don Granato’s system, the sky truly seems like the limit.

2. Breaking the Streak

The Buffalo Sabres find themselves falling on hard times.

Buffalo is not only 2-7-1 in their last 10 games, but they have lost three straight games.

Defense and goaltending have seemed optional these past three games, which has seen Buffalo allowing 17 goals.

The resolution seems simple enough – mix in a few saves.

3. Linus Once Again

For the second time this season, the Buffalo Sabres face the Boston Bruins but it is more than that.

For the second time this season, the Buffalo Sabres will face off against former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark.

Buffalo will be looking for revenge against their former goaltender, especially after a 4-1 loss to Ullmark and the Bruins earlier this season.

Despite Ullmark’s slow start to the 2021-22 NHL season, his season-opening performance against the Sabres remains his best performance of the season.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Victor Olofsson

Drake Caggiula – Dylan Cozens – Vinnie Hinostroza

Rasmus Asplund – Zemgus Girgensons – Kyle Okposo

Anders Bjork – Cody Eakin – John Hayden

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin – Mark Pysyk

Jacob Bryson – Henri Jokiharju

Robert Hagg – Colin Miller

Starter: Dustin Tokarski

Boston Bruins

Forwards

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak

Taylor Hall – Charlie Coyle – Nick Foligno

Jake Debrusk – Erik Haula – Craig Smith

Anton Blidh – Tomas Nosek – Curtis Lazar

Defense

Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy

Derek Forbort – Brandon Carlo

Mike Reilly – Jakub Zboril

Starter: Linus Ullmark