Boston 2, Buffalo 0
When: 6:30 PM ET, Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Referees:
Steve Kozari, Brandon Schrader
Linesmen:
Beau Halkidis, Kory Nagy
Attendance:
N/A
By Field Level Media
Boston's Tuukka Rask made 32 saves to record his first shutout in more than a year Tuesday night and the Bruins got goals from Brad Marchand and Connor Clifton to win their fifth game in a row, a 2-0 victory over the host Buffalo Sabres.
Rask wasn't severely tested, but he did make a stellar extended-pad save to keep Buffalo's Dylan Cozens from tying the game midway through the first period. It was his third straight victory, but his first shutout since March 10, 2020.
Still in the mix for the East Division title, the Bruins (26-12-6, 58 points) have won five straight for the first time since the start of February, matching their longest winning streak of the season. It was also the fourth win in as many games this season against the Sabres, a team they have beaten nine consecutive times dating back to Dec. 16, 2018.
The Sabres will get four more tries against the Bruins this season, including back-to-back nights Thursday and Friday in Buffalo.
Dustin Tokarski made 39 saves for the Sabres (12-27-7, 31 points), who were 3-1-1 in their previous five games. On Tuesday, Buffalo showed plenty of spirit and even pulled Tokarski with more than a minute to play in regulation for a 6-on-3 scenario, but still was not able to convert.
Tuesday marked the eighth time this season that Buffalo was shut out.
The Bruins pressured from the start and it was Marchand who opened the scoring at the 8:06 mark in the first period by converting the rebound of David Pastrnak's shot. That was the only goal of a period as each team registered nine shots.
Boston made it 2-0 courtesy of its fourth line. Amid a scrum in front of the Sabres net, Clifton got his stick on the puck and squeezed it past Tokarski just 3:03 into the middle period, for his first goal of 2020-21.
Marchand has posted five of his 24 goals in the last four games. Pastrnak, meanwhile, has recorded six assists over the same time span.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
| Boston |
|
Buffalo |
|
Connor Clifton 1 |
Points |
N/A |
|
Connor Clifton 1 |
Goals |
N/A |
|
Sean Kuraly 1 |
Assists |
N/A |
|
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Tuukka Rask 1.000 |
Save Percentage |
Dustin Tokarski .951 |
|
Tuukka Rask 32 |
Saves |
Dustin Tokarski 39 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Boston
|
41 |
2 |
0-4 |
6-6 |
12 |
33 |
| Buffalo
|
32 |
0 |
0-6 |
4-4 |
8 |
21 |
Upcoming Games
-
Buffalo will play their next game at home against Boston. The Sabres have a W/L % of .167 after a win and .303 after a loss.
-
Boston will play their next game on the road against Buffalo. The Bruins have a W/L % of .520 after a win and .667 after a loss.
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