Unlucky Buffalo Sabres to face Boston Bruins in their last games of season – NHL Preview
The Buffalo Sabres registered one of the most notable comebacks in the current National Hockey League (NHL) regular season as they surged from nearly at the bottom of the Eastern Conference to gain a spot among the top eight teams of the conference.
However, they lost a game when it mattered most and were eventually eliminated from the playoff contention.
Now, with just one more game left for them in the regular season, they are hoping to cheer their fans up by ending the season on a positive note.
Sabres are going to face Boston Bruins on Saturday, April 07, 2012, at TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts.
The Bruins have already qualified for the playoffs and are enjoying a good position on the points table. Let’s take a look at both teams.
Sabres
They played their last game against Philadelphia Flyers. Before this game, Sabres had a strong chance of qualifying for the playoffs, but they were in a must-win situation.
Sabres had a one-goal lead by the end of second period, but Flyers rallied to score two goals in the final and crushed Sabres’ hopes of reaching the postseason.
Sabres’ goaltender, Ryan Miller, said after the game:
"It's disappointing. It's embarrassing to miss the playoffs. We have a lot of talented players on this team and we just didn't get it going early enough this season."
Sabres’ coach, Lindy Ruff, added:
"We just didn't finish. We had our chances, and we didn't get the kind of shots we needed. There were far too many chances by the wayside."
Sabres are ranked at ninth spot in the Eastern Conference with 88 points after 81 games.
Bruins
They are ranked at second spot in the Eastern Conference with 100 points after 81 games.
Out of their last four games, Bruins have won three with the recent victory coming against the Ottawa Senators, who also have qualified for the playoffs.
Bruins scored a goal in the first period and added another in the second. Senators got their only scoring move in the second period and Bruins scored another time in the final period to seal the victory, 3-1.
Predictions
Sabres could beat Bruins.
The sum of goals scored by both teams might stay under six.
If Bruins win, the winning margin will be less than two goals.
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