Bruins blitz Sabres for 5-1 victory in Buffalo
After they were shut out by Daniel Vladar and the Flames on Sunday night, the Bruins needed just 5:31 to beat the Sabres’ Aaron Dell for four goals in the first period of a 5-1 victory at KeyBank Center on Wednesday night.
And it was exactly what the doctor ordered.
In what felt like a must-win game (as much as one can in November), the Bruins found themselves with a golden opportunity to jump out front with a two-on-one with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. But the shot wouldn’t go, and the Sabres quickly marched down the other way and beat Boston’s Jeremy Swayman for a 1-0 lead at the 10:56 mark of the period.
It felt like a ‘when it rains, it pours’ moment for the Bruins.
But Patrice Bergeron made sure it wasn’t. Given three tries on a net-front pile-up, Bergeron’s third chance beat Dell at the 13:29 mark of the period, and a snipe from Charlie Coyle just 51 seconds later gave Boston the lead.
Quite the snipe from Charlie Coyle.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) November 25, 2021
2-1 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/CDuJDIFdC3
A power-play bomb from David Pastrnak pushed the Boston lead to three just 2:39 after Coyle’s tally, and Mike Reilly made it a four-goal period with his second of the season, scored 121 seconds after Pastrnak’s marker.
David Pastrnak uncorks one from his usual spot on the power play.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) November 25, 2021
3-1 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/MYONwthI8j
In the blink of an eye, the Bruins were up by three, and Dell’s night was over.
The four goals were more than enough for the Black and Gold in this contest, though they would add another with a Taylor Hall power-play goal late in the third period.
In addition to getting goals from five different scorers, 10 different Bruins finished the night with at least one point, while Bergeron, Coyle, Pastrnak, and Nick Foligno all had multi-point nights.
A surprise starter after projected starter Linus Ullmark ‘tweaked’ something in the morning, Swayman celebrated his 23rd birthday with a 24-of-25 performance in the Boston crease. Swayman’s best stop of the evening came with a penalty-shot save on the Sabres’ John Hayden. It was the first penalty shot of Swayman’s NHL career.
The bad news for the Bruins in this contest came late, with Charlie McAvoy injured on a boarding from Zemgus Girgensons. McAvoy left the ice with a towel covering his face, and did not return by the night’s end, not that the Bruins would have needed him with the game decided long before the hit. Girgensons was issued a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit.
Girgenson's hit on McAvoy #LetsGoBuffalo #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/fxXHAYdbKo
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 25, 2021
The Bruins will get back in action Friday afternoon against the Rangers.
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Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
