BUFFALO -- The Boston Bruins played like it was the last game of a 10-day, five-game road trip and it ended with a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday at KeyBank Center. It also didn’t help that they had back-to-back games to finish the 2-3-0 trip.
Basically, this was one of those games that was kind of expected, especially given all the roster moves the team made this week. Having Monday off will be a good opportunity to hit the reset button.
Pregame notes
Rick Nash is making his Boston Bruins debut tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. He will play the right side on David Krejci's line with Jake DeBrusk on the left.
He's wearing his vintage No. 61 for the Bruins. He'll also work the first power-play unit with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Torey Krug.
Bergeron, who suffered a right-leg injury during Saturday's loss to the Maple Leafs, is in the lineup tonight. If he wasn't able to play, Bruce Cassidy would have gone with seven defensemen. Speaking of the blue line, Brandon Carlo will be a healthy scratch and Adam McQuaid will return to the lineup after his one-game hiatus as a healthy scratch.
Anton Khudobin is starting in net for the Bruins. Also, Brian Gionta is expected to join the Bruins at practice on Tuesday.
Observations from the first period.
- Rick Nash receives a huge ovation on his first shift by the Bruins fans in attendance.
- It's not too often you see McQuaid knocked off his skates.
- Bruins getting the first power play of the game. Their man-advantage has struggled big time of late. Let's see how Nash will make it better.
- Boston 0-for-1 on the PP. Pastrnak with a golden opportunity but missed the net and a wide open Nash in front.
- Nash killing penalties with Bergeron.
- As Marchand penalty ends, Sabres score to take a 1-0 lead. On the play, Bergeron took a high stick to the face and heads to the room.
- With Chara in the box, the Sabres score a power-play goal for a 2-0 lead. Bergeron still hasn't returned.
- So, with Bergeron in the room for repairs, Krejci centering Marchand and Pastrnak.
- Another penalty for the Bruins with 38.2 seconds remaining in the period. Too-many-men penalty for the second consecutive game.
- Bergeron is back on the bench.
- After Pastrnak hits the post, he creates another opportunity and this time feeds Charlie McAvoy, who gives Boston its first goal of the game. Nice job by McAvoy to read the play and attack the net.
- Sabres regain their two-goal lead.
- Nash with an all-out effort to draw a penalty. Bruins need to get their PP going soon.
- Krug continues to get pucks to the net from the point. One of those will go in soon.
- Huge push by the Bruins late in the period.
- Sorry, folks. Massive internet issues here tonight.
- Nash wants one in the worst way. Big push by Boston but Buffalo stifling the attack.
- That slap shot by Ristolainen look like it stung Khudobin's glove hand.
- Bruins get another penalty early in the third. Miller goes for tripping.
- Again, right out of the box after penalty expires, the Sabres score to make it 4-1.
- The inability to create clean breakouts is an issue.
- This is also the type of game that doesn't bode well for a backup goalie, especially the last game of a five-game road trip on back-to-back nights. Bruins playing tired.
- The last few games it appears that Noel Acciari is still bothered by that lower-body injury.
- Cassidy tweaking the line combinations a bit. Has David Backes with Krejci and Nash. Now that's a heavy line.