Bruins Don't Want To Get Caught Looking Past Sabres

7 p.m. ET
TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: NESN
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Season Series/Schedule
Date      Game                                    GWG
10/21     BUF 5 @ BOS 4  OT          Ryan O'Reilly
12/19     BOS 3 @ BUF 0                  Jake DeBrusk
2/10       BUF @ BOS        
2/25       BOS @ BUF        

Team Leaders
Bruins                                                                                   Sabres
Brad Marchand, 51                          Points                   Jack Eichel, 53
Patrice Bergeron, 24                       Goals                    Jack Eichel, 22
Marchand/Pastrnak, 30                 Assists                  Jack Eichel, 31

The Boston Bruins have just one regulation loss in their last 23 games, so hosting the worst team in the Eastern Conference should not be much of a concern. 

However, as we have seen in the past, these types of games can catch teams looking past their opponents and the Bruins already have one loss to Buffalo this season.

The Sabres are coming off a 4-3 victory over the fading New York Islanders on Thursday night, for their only win in their last five games.  They had gone 3-2-0 in their five previous games.

The 5-4 overtime loss to the Sabres in October snapped a seven-game win streak versus Buffalo, but the Bruins have points in each of their last nine games against the Sabres going 8-0-1.

The only change we will see in Bruce Cassidy's lineup from what we saw at the New York Rangers on Wednesday will come in goal as Tuukka Rask gets the start tonight.  Noel Acciari did take part in today's optional skate, but he will not play.  There is a chance he makes his return versus the New Jersey Devils tomorrow.

Probable Bruins Lineup
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk - David Krejci - Ryan Spooner
Danton Heinen - Riley Nash - David Backes
Tim Schaller - Sean Kuraly - Austin Czarnik

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Zdeno Chara - Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug - Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk - Adam McQuaid

GOALTENDER
Tuuka Rask (22-8-4, 2.09 GAA, .925 save %, 2 SO)

INJURY REPORT
C-Noel Acciari (lower-body) out, LW-Anders Bjork (upper-body) out, D-Kevan Miller (upper-body) out

Probable Sabres Lineup
FORWARDS
Evan Rodrigues - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart
Evander Kane - Ryan O'Reilly - Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons - Johan Larsson - Jason Pominville
Benoit Pouliot - Jacob Josefson - Jordan Nolan

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Nathan Beaulieu - Rasmus Ristolainen
Marco Scandella - Casey Nelson
Josh Gorges - Viktor Antipin

GOALTENDER
Robin Lehner (12-20-7, 2.84 GAA, .913 save %, 3 SO)

INJURY REPORT
D-Zach Bogosian (lower-body) out, D-Jake McCabe (upper-body) day-to-day