By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On X / Twitter @adbblue
The Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 at TD Garden Saturday night in what was not a very exciting hockey game. Through two periods, there was a lot of stalemate hockey and few shots on goal.
Action finally picked up in the third period, with both teams trading chances. The Bruins tilted the ice in the back half of the final frame, and with some timely saves from Joonas Korpisalo, they pulled out the victory. Joe Sacco addressed the win following the game. “In this league anytime you can come away with two points and you have a win, it’s a victory.”
First Period
It was a slow start for both teams, with multiple stoppages in the early going. After receiving the game’s first power play, Buffalo looked to get on the board. They had plenty of pressure but failed to convert. As the penalty expired, Charlie Coyle was set up on a nice pass by Nikita Zadorov, leading to a clean breakaway. He beat James Reimer on his second chance, pushing the puck past the goal line.
That gave Boston a 1-0 lead. Coyle said following the win, “My eyes lit up,” referring to seeing the puck after leaving the box. With 1:54 left in the opening frame, the Sabres got another chance on the power play and, once again, did not cash in. Korpisalo was sharp in the net, making some impressive glove saves and finishing with six saves in the period.
Second Period
Both teams were sloppy at the start of the second period, combining for multiple giveaways. With 13:53 on the clock, the Bruins got their first opportunity on the man advantage. They couldn’t generate much, and the power play went by the boards.
The Sabres got another late power play with 2:52 remaining in the middle stanza. This time, Buffalo converted and tied the game 1-1 after JK Peterka squeaked a shot through Korpisalo. It was a weak period for the Bruins all around.
Third Period
Boston began the third period with only 11 shots on goal. They had plenty of chances to get the puck to the net but too often opted for the pass, which resulted in a lack of execution. It seemed as if the Bruins took the lead on a Morgan Geekie goal.
However, it was overturned after Buffalo successfully challenged the play for offside. David Pastrnak failed to clear the zone before Geekie entered. Eventually, Geekie got on the score sheet. The Bruins got a late power play on a great effort by Oliver Wahlstrom, drawing a trip.
With time ticking down on the man advantage, Geekie blistered a shot from above the hash marks into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead. Brad Marchand sealed it moments later, putting home an empty netter. It wasn’t pretty, but Boston came out with the two points.
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