Four Bruins scored their first goal of the season as the team improved to a 12-1-2 record on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center.
The Boston Bruins bounced back with a dominant 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center Tuesday night, and improved to a 12-1-2 record.
Linus Ullmark made 31 saves in his eighth start of the season and four Bruins scored their first goals of the 2023-24 campaign in the divisional matchup victory.
Danton Heinen got the Bruins on the scoreboard at 3:01 of the opening frame, netting his first goal of the season off a Charlie McAvoy wrister from below the right dot. Heinen, stationed at the net-front, knocked in the rebound for the 1-0 advantage.
David Pastrnak doubled Boston’s lead just over a minute later with McAvoy driving the offensive rush once again. The defenseman speedily carried the puck through the neutral zone before dishing it to Zacha on the right wing who sent it cross ice to Pastrnak on the left side to slap it bar down past Sabres goaltender Devon Levi. Pastrnak’s 11th goal of the season made it 2-0 at 4:09.
Nov 14, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (23) battle for the puck in the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY SportsThe teams skated 4-on-4 with both McAvoy and Dylan Cozens in the box for roughing at 14:21, and Brandon Carlo cashed in for the 3-0 lead at 15:14. While Ullmark didn’t get an official assist, the goaltender sparked the 3-on-1 with Carlo, Zacha and Pastrnak by coming far out of his crease and poke checking a Sabres chance the other direction.
Carlo picked up the play in the defensive end and transitioned up ice, getting the puck to Zacha on the left side who sauced it to Pastrnak on the right before No. 88 dropped the rubber in the slot for Carlo to blast home – the defenseman’s first tally of the season.
Oskar Steen joined the first-goal-of-the-season club at 4:07 of the second period, releasing a snipe from below the left circle, high glove side on Levi, and boosted the Bruins to a 4-0 score. The winger has been skating on the fourth line with Johnny Beecher and Jakub Lauko since getting called up from Providence (AHL) in the absence of Milan Lucic.
Nov 14, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Tyson Jost (17) tries to shoot the puck against Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) in the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY SportsA drive from the point by Hampus Lindholm on the power play at 12:23 of the middle stanza made it 5-0 Bruins – and, you guessed it, it was the defenseman’s first goal of the season. Sabres forward Victor Olofsson then brought the score to 5-1 at 15:07 from the left doorstep.
Levi was pulled with just under five minutes remaining in the second, replaced by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who led the Sabres into the final period of play.
Olofsson netted his second tuck of the night with 4:58 remaining in the third, spinning around and snapping it past Ullmark from the high slot to bring the game to its final 5-2 score.
The Bruins will be back in action Saturday at TD Garden where they’ll host the Montreal Canadiens for a 7 p.m. puck drop.