by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Nov 12, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Where to watch: MSG-B, NESN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Bruins -180, Sabres +155
FanDuel: Bruins -205, Sabres +164
BetMGM: Bruins -182, Sabres +150
Caesars: Bruins -190, Sabres +158
Season record
Bruins: 12-2-0 (24 points)
Sabres: 7-7-0 (14 points)
What an electric start to the NHL season. So much parity, so many good teams through the first 10-plus games, you have every right to be excited! Of course the Vegas Golden Knights and Boston Bruins are heading the fun charge here as the top two teams in the league, because of course they are. But never count out the Avalanche, you know they're always going to be hanging around and will be eating worlds once they get everyone healthy. But this is a good time to be playing these hockey games, as well. Look no further than our own Vegas Writer off to a 14-11-0 start over the first 30 days of the NHL season. There's also ASA, Inc. posting a 10-5-1 mark through the first month. You know you can trust our champion handicappers to get you across the finish line with your NHL bets. Check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what we're throwing down!
Bruins - Sabres preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Bruins: won two straight; won 3-1 vs. Flames on Thursday
Sabres: lost four straight; lost 7-4 vs. Golden Knights on Thursday
Do the Boston Bruins have the best goalie in the league right now? Hard to argue with a 12-2-0 start with Linus Ullmark behind it all. And following their first loss in a while to Toronto, the Bruins have bounced back with back-to-back 3-1 wins to push themselves to the second best mark in the league. The Bruins will try to keep it going when they visit Buffalo to take on the Sabres, who are in the midst of a four-game losing streak where defense has been optional.
Do the Boston Bruins have the best goalie in the league right now? Hard to argue with a 12-2-0 start with Linus Ullmark behind it all. And following their first loss in a while to Toronto, the Bruins have bounced back with back-to-back 3-1 wins to push themselves to the second best mark in the league. The Bruins will try to keep it going when they visit Buffalo to take on the Sabres, who are in the midst of a four-game losing streak where defense has been optional.
The Bruins, after winning 3-1 against St. Louis, are coming off a 3-1 win against the struggling Calgary Flames on Thursday. After Noah Hanifin scored the first goal of the game, it was all Boston. Connor Clifton and David Pastrnak got on the board, and Charlie McAvoy even scored in his season debut after missing the first 13 games recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
"We did a good job getting the puck," McAvoy said. "We got possession of it, and set it up, and it was a good pass by [forward Pavel Zacha] to find me there in the seam, and just part of my sort of simple attitude. I just want to catch and shoot it."
But more importantly, it was Ullmark making 31 saves for his 10th win of the season and looking like the early frontrunner for the Vezina Trophy. Ullmark, who will be facing his former team in this matchup on Saturday, has a 1.95 goals-against average and .936 save percentage. This would be a year where he’d split time with Jeremy Swayman, but his tough start and now going on IR has made it Ullmark’s team for the time being.
"It's not a one-man show out there," Ullmark said. "We got 'Chucky' (McAvoy) back in the lineup as well, [Connor Clifton] playing insane hockey right now. It's just guys pulling their weight. We're doing a lot of things right. We don't take anything for granted. We're forechecking, backchecking, and that's what you've got to do."
Right now, it’s a two-team show with the Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights running things. Boston, arguably, has a better track record out the gate with new coach Jim Montgomery and they’ve been able to play well while slowly getting everyone back like Brad Marchand, McAvoy and others.
The Sabres, meanwhile, had a strong 7-3-0 start but four straight losses by a score of 21-11 have put things into a bit of a problem. What makes things worse is the Sabres are coming off a 7-4 loss to Vegas in which their worst nightmare came to fruition: Jack Eichel, in his second game back in Buffalo, scored a hat trick in the third period and added an assist to give the Golden Knights their ninth straight win.
But it’s been a good run for Tage Thompson, who had two goals and has continued to be a star for the Sabres. Dylan Cozens had two assists, and Eric Comrie allowed six goals on 35 shots.
"I think we were a little sloppy at times giving them free offense and they're a good team," Thompson said. "They're going to make you pay. That's something we've got to learn moving forward, managing the puck at both blue lines and making sure we're not turning it over. It's the way it goes sometimes. We just have to be a little better."
Prediction
It’s likely going to be Ullmark vs. Comrie again, and while Ullmark isn’t as big of a revenge game as Eichel, you have to think Ullmark will want to perform against his former team and keep this hot streak going. The Bruins are just on a roll right now and the Sabres are catching everything bad. Bruins win 5-2
Betting trends
Bruins are 54-35 off an under the last three years.
Bruins are 33-23 off a home win the last three years.
Bruins are 58-45 off a win the last three years.
Sabres are 4-15 in November the last three years.
Sabres are 10-20 the last three years after a game when both teams scored three goals.
Projected lines
Bruins:
Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jake DeBrusk
Taylor Hall -- David Krejci -- David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic -- Charlie Coyle -- Pavel Zacha
Nick Foligno -- Tomas Nosek -- Craig Smith
Hampus Lindholm -- Connor Clifton
Matt Grzelcyk -- Charlie McAvoy
Jakub Zboril -- Brandon Carlo
Linus Ullmark
Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jake DeBrusk
Taylor Hall -- David Krejci -- David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic -- Charlie Coyle -- Pavel Zacha
Nick Foligno -- Tomas Nosek -- Craig Smith
Hampus Lindholm -- Connor Clifton
Matt Grzelcyk -- Charlie McAvoy
Jakub Zboril -- Brandon Carlo
Linus Ullmark
Sabres:
Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Vinnie Hinostroza
JJ Peterka -- Dylan Cozens -- Alex Tuch
Rasmus Asplund -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons -- Peyton Krebs -- Kyle Okposo
Jacob Bryson -- Rasmus Dahlin
Lawrence Pilut -- Owen Power
Kale Clague -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Eric Comrie
Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Vinnie Hinostroza
JJ Peterka -- Dylan Cozens -- Alex Tuch
Rasmus Asplund -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons -- Peyton Krebs -- Kyle Okposo
Jacob Bryson -- Rasmus Dahlin
Lawrence Pilut -- Owen Power
Kale Clague -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Eric Comrie
Statistical leaders
Bruins:
Points: David Pastrnak -- 22
Goals: David Pastrnak -- 9
Assists: David Pastrnak -- 13
Goalie: Linus Ullmark -- 10-1-0, 1.95 GAA, .936 SV%
Sabres:
Points: Tage Thompson -- 18
Goals: Tage Thompson -- 10
Assists: Rasmus Dahlin -- 10
Goalie: Eric Comrie -- 4-6-0, 3.62 GAA, .885 SV%
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert hockey picks today. And if you enjoyed this Boston Bruins - Buffalo Sabres prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NHL projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
