The Buffalo Sabres conclude their back-to-back set with a Sunday night matchup against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo trailed the Lightning 2-1 entering Saturday’s third period but battled back to force overtime and ultimately win 3-2 in the shootout.
With three straight wins and a 9-4-0 record in their last 13, the Sabres have been playing their best hockey of the season over the past few weeks. That extends even farther back on home ice, where Buffalo has gone 11-2-0 since beating the Bruins at KeyBank Center on Jan. 28.
“When you’re playing well at home, there’s no better feeling on Earth,” said James Reimer, who started in net Saturday and earned his sixth straight win. “When you get the crowd behind you and the barn is rocking, that’s what you dream of as a kid. … When you start getting the results like that at home, that’s one of the main reasons you play for – that feeling and doing it for the people watching.”
Buffalo has kept the energy high by scoring 4.0 goals per game during this 13-game stretch at home. The last change has allowed Sabres coach Lindy Ruff to create advantageous matchups for his top players, and they’ve capitalized. Most notably, Tage Thompson has scored 12 goals in his last 12 home games, including one Saturday to reach 40 for the season.
“If you look at it from a coach's perspective, it gives you a margin of [taking] their top defending line away from Tage or [taking] it away from our top line, and you don't have to chase matchups," Ruff said.
“If you want to be a good team, you’ve got to be good in your own building.”
With just four games remaining, the Sabres look to continue their home-ice dominance against a Bruins team that’s gone 11-24-3 on the road this season.
Here’s what you need to know before puck drop at 6 p.m.