The Sabres could use a much better effort tonight against the visiting Bruins. The game can be seen live on NBCSN (TSN2 in Canada) starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:
• The Sabres are winless in their six home games this season (0-5-1), having been outscored by a combined 17-6 margin. The last time they suffered through such a streak at the First Niagara Center was Oct. 9-Nov. 5, 2010, when they went seven straight without a win (0-6-1). In 2013-14, the Bruins have won all three of their road games by a combined 11-3.
• The Sabres have been outscored 14-3 in first periods this season – one of the many reasons they have held a lead in only one of their 10 games. (During their 3-2 OT loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 8, they held leads of 1-0 and 2-1). The Sabres have played 606:50 this season and held a lead for a grand total of 9:35.
• Since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, the Boston Bruins have won 128 regular-season games (4th-most in the NHL), while the Buffalo Sabres have won only 104 (T-20th-most). However, the Sabres have the slight edge in head-to-head matchups during that span, winning nine (9-5-3 record, 21 points) to the Bruins’ eight (8-5-4, 20 points).
Of the six 400-goal scorers to have played in the NHL this season, only the Bruins’ Jarome Iginla (530 career goals) has yet to score in 2013-14.
Career goals 2013-14
1. Jaromir Jagr (NJ) 683 2
2. Teemu Selanne (ANA) 678 3
3. Iginla (BOS) 530 0
4. Marian Hossa (CHI) 437 3
5. Daniel Alfredsson (DET) 427 1
6. Patrick Marleau (SJ) 411 7
Tonight is Iginla’s 8th game; his only longer drought to start a season was in 1999-2000, when he went without a goal in his first 11 games as a member of the Calgary Flames.
• Neither the Bruins nor the Sabres have a player among the NHL’s top-50 in points this season. Of all the skaters, only Sabres forward Cody Hodgson has more than six points (2 goals, five assists = 7 points)
• Boston coach Claude Julien hinted after Monday’s practice that backup goaltender Chad Johnson will make his Bruins debut in the net tonight. That would mean that the Bruins will have started the backup in each of their last five meetings with the Sabres. After starting netminder Tuukka Rask (career: 4-5-1, 2.51 vs. BUF) surrendered a career-high six goals to Buffalo in a 7-4 loss on Jan. 31 in Boston, Anton Khudobin (now of the Carolina Hurricanes) started the following four games last season.
Chad Johnson confirmed he'll be getting his first start of the season (and in the spoked-B) tonight vs #Sabres ^CS
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2013