Final: Bruins 3, Sabres 2 - Smith's tally puts Boston ahead for good

The Bruins will continue their seven-game homestand  with a Saturday matinee against the Sabres.  Puck drop is set for 1:00 p.m. Follow along for updates from Saturday's game.

WHO: Bruins (16-8-5) vs. Sabres (6-22-4)

WHEN: 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: TD Garden

TV: NESN

RADIO: 98.5-FM The Sports Hub

LIVE BOX SCORE: NHL.com 

LIVE COVERAGE:



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Bruins heading on the power play. 10:22 left in regulation.

Ullmark denies Pastrnak on the breakaway.

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What a shift fom McAvoy. Good lord.

Third period is a go.

End Second: Sabres lead, 2-1.

No dice. 0-for-3 on the power play.

Bruins back on the power play.

Slow reaction from Vladar and Wagner is beat to the puck by Okposo.

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Grzelcyk gives the Bruins new life.

B's out of the box.

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Second period is a go.

End First: Sabres lead, 1-0.

McAvoy not thrilled with the lack of a call there.

Sabres back on the power play.

No dice on the power play. 0-for-2 so far today.

Bruins head to the power play. Bergeron draws a hook.

Pastrnak engaged early on. Nice hit on Dahlin.

No dice on that power play.

Good shifts from Senyshyn and that third line so far.

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Clifton to the box.

Puck dropped.

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A late update — Jeremy Lauzon is back in the lineup. He'll be on the third D pair with Kampfer. Tinordi out.

LINEUPS 

BOSTON

Trent Frederic  -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Nick Ritchie -- David Krejci -- Craig Smith
Anders Bjork -- Charlie Coyle -- Zach Senyshyn
Greg McKegg -- Jack Studnicka -- Chris Wagner

Matt Grzelcyk -- Charlie McAvoy
Jakub Zboril -- Connor Clifton
Jarred Tinordi -- Steven Kampfer

Dan Vladar
Jaroslav Halak

Scratched: Jack Ahcan
Injured: Jeremy Lauzon (fractured hand), Brandon Carlo (upper body), Karson Kuhlman (hand), Kevan Miller (lower body), Ondrej Kase (upper body), Tuukka Rask (upper body)
COVID-19 protocol: Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly, Brad Marchand

BUFFALO

Casey Mittelstadt -- Curtis Lazar -- Jeff Skinner
Victor Olofsson -- Riley Sheahan -- Dylan Cozens
Taylor Hall -- Jean-Sebastien Dea -- Sam Reinhart
Steven Fogarty -- Cody Eakin -- C.J. Smith

Jacob Bryson -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Rasmus Dahlin -- Henri Jokiharju
Brandon Montour -- Colin Miller

Linus Ullmark
Dustin Tokarski

Scratched: Brett Murray
Injured: Jack Eichel (upper body), William Borgen (forearm), Kyle Okposo (upper body), Carter Hutton (lower body), Tobias Rieder (upper body), Tage Thompson (illness)

PREGAME NOTES: 

The Bruins were dealt a major blow just ahead of puck drop, as Brad Marchand entered COVID-19 protocols and will not play on Saturday — joining both Sean Kuraly and Jake DeBrusk on the league list. With Marchand out, Trent Frederic will slot up on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, while Zach Senyshyn re-enters the lineup and will skate on Charlie Coyle's line. Jack Studnicka will center a fourth line with Greg McKegg.

Dan Vladar will get the start in net today, while Jaroslav Halak will start Sunday against the Devils.

John Moore's season is over, as the veteran defenseman underwent a hip arthroscopy and labral repair on March 22 by Dr. Bryan Kelly at The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY. The expected recovery time is approximately five to six months.

Linus Ullmark will start in net for the Sabres. Ullmark has missed the past 15 games after sustaining a lower-body injury against New Jersey on Feb. 25. His absence has coincided with Buffalo's 16-game winless streak (0-14-2). The goaltender is 5-4-2 with a .919 save percentage in 12 games.