The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres face off tonight at KeyBank Center, marking their third meeting of the season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST, with the game broadcast on NESN and MSG-B. The Bruins have won the first two matchups this season, but the Sabres are looking to capitalize on home ice.

Team Records and Recent Performances

The Bruins enter the game with a 20-17-1 record, while the Sabres are close behind at 18-14-4. Buffalo is currently riding a seven-game win streak, their longest since November 2018. Boston, on the other hand, has struggled recently, losing their last four games. The Sabres' strong play has propelled them to within one point of the Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings.

Projected Lineups

Here are the projected lineups for tonight's game:

Boston Bruins:

• Forwards:
  • Morgan Geekie – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
  • Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
  • Mikey Eyssimont – Fraser Minten – Mark Kastelic
  • Alex Steeves – Sean Kuraly – Marat Khusnutdinov
• Defensemen:
  • Nikita Zadorov – Charlie McAvoy
  • Hampus Lindholm – Andrew Peeke
  • Vladislav Kolyachonok – Mason Lohrei
• Goaltenders:
  • Joonas Korpisalo (Likely starter)
  • Jeremy Swayman

Buffalo Sabres:

• Forwards:
  • Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Josh Doan
  • Noah Ostlund – Josh Norris – Alex Tuch
  • Zach Benson – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
  • Jordan Greenway – Josh Dunne – Beck Malenstyn
• Defensemen:
  • Mattias Samuelsson – Bowen Byram
  • Owen Power – Michael Kesselring
  • Jacob Bryson – Zach Metsa
• Goaltenders:
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Likely starter)
  • Alex Lyon

Injury Report

The Bruins will be without Tanner Jeannot, who is out with an injury sustained in their previous game against Montreal. Jonathan Aspirot and Henri Jokiharju are inching closer to a return but their participation remains uncertain. For the Sabres, Rasmus Dahlin will be absent due to a family matter in Sweden. Jason Zucker has returned to skating but is not yet ready to play.

Keys to the Game

For the Bruins, Joonas Korpisalo needs to be solid in net after a shaky start to December, while the offense needs to find consistency beyond David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. Boston's power play ranks seventh in the league at 25.4%, but their penalty kill has slipped to 19th at 79.2%. The Sabres will look to continue their strong defensive play, which has been a key factor in their winning streak. Buffalo's penalty kill is a major strength, ranking second in the NHL at 84.5%. The Sabres will also rely on their defense to contribute offensively, as Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin have been key contributors.

The Sabres are favored to win the game with moneyline odds of -130, while the Bruins are at +110. The over/under for the game is set at 6 goals.