NHL

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres prediction

Boston Bruins8–2–1 · Home Buffalo Sabres4–4–2 · Away07:30 PMJan 5

Lines

Lines from the last game · may change

Boston Bruins

Last game: Oct 22

1st line

13:02 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
88	David Pastrňák LW	16:37	6	10	16
18	Pavel Zacha C	16:11	2	4	6
10	JJ Peterka RW	17:52	4	3	7

29 points this season

39GeekieLW

93MintenC MK92KhusnutdinovRW

2nd line

11:38 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
39	Morgan Geekie LW	14:34	1	5	6
93	Fraser Minten C	15:28	4	4	8
92	Marat Khusnutdinov RW	14:22	2	3	5

19 points this season

11MittelstadtLW

44HagensC

28LindholmRW

3rd line

10:00 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
11	Casey Mittelstadt LW	15:03	3	2	5
44	James Hagens C	15:04	3	4	7
28	Elias Lindholm RW	13:43	4	4	8

20 points this season

84JeannotLW MK47KastelicC

51PoitrasRW

4th line

9:20 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
84	Tanner Jeannot LW	13:51	1	2	3
47	Mark Kastelic C	14:14	2	4	6
51	Matthew Poitras RW	13:34	4	3	7

16 points this season

91ZadorovD

17BorgenD

1st pair

17:29 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
91	Nikita Zadorov D	19:48	0	4	4
17	Will Borgen D	19:45	1	2	3

7 points this season

27LindholmD

73McAvoyD

2nd pair

15:54 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
27	Hampus Lindholm D	20:21	1	3	4
73	Charlie McAvoy D	19:01	1	5	6

10 points this season

6LohreiD FB42BrunetD

3rd pair

15:38 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Mason Lohrei D	20:14	2	3	5
42	Frederic Brunet D	18:18	1	2	3

8 points this season

10PeterkaF

93MintenF

44HagensF

11MittelstadtF FB42BrunetD

Power play unit 1

1:35 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
10	JJ Peterka F	17:52	4	3	7
93	Fraser Minten F	15:28	4	4	8
44	James Hagens F	15:04	3	4	7
11	Casey Mittelstadt F	15:03	3	2	5
42	Frederic Brunet D	18:18	1	2	3

30 points this season

Power play unit 2

1:20 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
88	David Pastrňák F	16:37	6	10	16
18	Pavel Zacha F	16:11	2	4	6
39	Morgan Geekie F	14:34	1	5	6
28	Elias Lindholm F	13:43	4	4	8
73	Charlie McAvoy D	19:01	1	5	6

42 points this season

MK92KhusnutdinovF MK47KastelicF

27LindholmD

6LohreiD

Penalty kill unit 1

1:00 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
92	Marat Khusnutdinov F	14:22	2	3	5
47	Mark Kastelic F	14:14	2	4	6
27	Hampus Lindholm D	20:21	1	3	4
6	Mason Lohrei D	20:14	2	3	5

20 points this season

Penalty kill unit 2: No such unit in that game.

Goalies: Jeremy Swayman #1 (Projected) · Michael Dipietro #30 (Backup)

Buffalo Sabres

Last game: Oct 21

CE92EllisProjected

ZB6BensonLW NO86OstlundC JQ22QuinnRW

1st line

8:40 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson LW	21:21	0	5	5
86	Noah Ostlund C	21:40	2	5	7
22	Jack Quinn RW	20:45	5	4	9

21 points this season

JK20KulichLW TT72ThompsonC JD91DoanRW

2nd line

8:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
20	Jiří Kulich LW	13:42	1	2	3
72	Tage Thompson C	20:06	5	4	9
91	Josh Doan RW	13:32	1	1	2

14 points this season

JZ17ZuckerLW JN9NorrisC KH94HeleniusRW

3rd line

4:38 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Jason Zucker LW	12:16	1	0	1
9	Josh Norris C	13:43	2	1	3
94	Konsta Helenius RW	9:07	1	1	2

6 points this season

BM29MalenstynLW RM71McLeodC PK19KrebsRW

4th line

5:00 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
29	Beck Malenstyn LW	10:07	0	2	2
71	Ryan McLeod C	13:06	1	1	2
19	Peyton Krebs RW	8:49	0	4	4

8 points this season

RD26DahlinD MS23SamuelssonD

1st pair

14:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:27	2	2	4
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	22:51	2	5	7

11 points this season

OP25PowerD OZ8ZellwegerD

2nd pair

12:21 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
25	Owen Power D	26:12	2	6	8
8	Olen Zellweger D	18:11	2	1	3

11 points this season

ZM73MetsaD LC46CrevierD

3rd pair

4:03 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
73	Zach Metsa D	10:43	0	2	2
46	Louis Crevier D	10:30	0	1	1

3 points this season

NO86OstlundF ZB6BensonF JQ22QuinnF

TT72ThompsonF RD26DahlinD

Power play unit 1

4:41 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
86	Noah Ostlund F	21:40	2	5	7
6	Zach Benson F	21:21	0	5	5
22	Jack Quinn F	20:45	5	4	9
72	Tage Thompson F	20:06	5	4	9
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:27	2	2	4

34 points this season

Power play unit 2: No such unit in that game.

ZB6BensonF RM71McLeodF

OP25PowerD MS23SamuelssonD

Penalty kill unit 1

1:26 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson F	21:21	0	5	5
71	Ryan McLeod F	13:06	1	1	2
25	Owen Power D	26:12	2	6	8
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	22:51	2	5	7

22 points this season

JN9NorrisF BM29MalenstynF

OZ8ZellwegerD ZM73MetsaD

Penalty kill unit 2

1:15 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Josh Norris F	13:43	2	1	3
29	Beck Malenstyn F	10:07	0	2	2
8	Olen Zellweger D	18:11	2	1	3
73	Zach Metsa D	10:43	0	2	2

10 points this season

Goalies: Colten Ellis #92 (Projected) · Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 (Backup)

Swipe the rink to switch units

How we read the lines

From the NHL’s shift charts, the three forwards and the two defencemen who shared the most 5-on-5 ice time, ranked by time on ice. Coaches shuffle lines often, so treat them as a guide until puck drop. Power-play and penalty-kill units: the five (on the power play) or four (on the penalty kill) skaters who were on the ice together the longest in that situation. TOI: ice time in that game. G, A, P: goals, assists and points this season.

Photo credits (18)

David Pastrňák · Bostonbruinsfan22, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pavel Zacha · Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
JJ Peterka · Sandro Halank , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Morgan Geekie · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Fraser Minten · Bardonvtn, CC BY 4.0
Casey Mittelstadt · CloutsnChara Sports Cards, CC BY 3.0
James Hagens · Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Elias Lindholm · Benjamin Reed, CC BY-SA 2.0
Tanner Jeannot · Jenn G, CC BY-SA 2.0
Matthew Poitras · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nikita Zadorov · m_kania, CC BY 2.0
Will Borgen · Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hampus Lindholm · mark6mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0
Charlie McAvoy · CloutsnChara Sports Cards, CC BY 3.0
Mason Lohrei · Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Michael Dipietro · Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jeremy Swayman · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen · CloutsnChara Sports Cards, CC BY 3.0

Goalie duel

Projected

Projected from recent starts · confirmed at puck drop

Jeremy Swayman BOS

.928 save percentage

1.98 GAA · 6–1–1 · 1 shutout · 8 starts

Colten Ellis BUF

.864 save percentage

3.19 GAA · 1–1–0 · 3 starts

Back-up expected: second night of a back-to-back

Teams do not name their goalie before the game. We expect the No. 1 unless his team played the night before, when the back-up usually starts; last season that call was right about two times in three. Our win chances do not depend on it.

Photo credits (1)