The Boston Bruins played the Buffalo Sabres again after their three-day holiday break. Jim Montgomery’s club has had a difficult few weeks after dropping four games in a row prior to the break.
According to the rules, the Black and Gold had a long day ahead of them. On Wednesday, December 27, they took a plane to Western New York, arrived at the KeyBank Center in time for the morning skate, and then played the game at seven o’clock.
Aside from a great opening frame on December 23 against the Minnesota Wild, Montgomery was waiting and looking for a solid response from his team during the losing run. However, the second-year head coach has not received one that he is happy with.
That was altered in a 4-1 victory over the Sabres, as the Bruins looked like the team they had early in the season. Three things became clear after the Black and Gold won their 20th game of the 2023–2024 season.
Charlie Coyle, Enjoy Your Evening
Some Bruins have had difficulty, both in December and most recently during the team’s four-game losing run. Center Charlie Coyle is one of those players; he hasn’t scored a point in a game since the Arizona Coyotes game on December 9. After failing to score a point in six games in a row that day, he recovered against Buffalo.
Coyle scored twice, once on a power play in the first and once during the second. After receiving a feed from Jake DeBrusk, Coyle was alone in front of the Buffalo net with the Bruins leading 1-0 at the start of the first period. He immediately sent a crisp shot over Devon Levi’s shoulder and under the crossbar. He received a pass from DeBrusk in the second period and banked a shot into the net after deflecting off a Buffalo defenceman. He recorded some significant minutes in every circumstance and won 58% of his faceoffs.
The Bruins Ruled the Special Teams
The Bruins dominated the special teams game in addition to winning it. Their penalty killing was flawless once more, ending all six Buffalo opportunities. Their greatest stretch came with a 4-0 lead late in the second quarter. The home team got a 5-on-4, 4-on-3, and 5-on-3 in less than three minutes after the Black and Gold were called for three minors in a minute and eighteen seconds, along with a Sabres penalty thrown in. Boston was able to capitalize on every chance and hold a four-goal lead.
Conversely, the Bruins’ 3-for-4 power play performance proved to be the difference. Morgan Geekie scored another man-advantage goal in the second period after Coyle converted the Bruins’ first two opportunities. After a shot went wide, it swiftly returned to the Buffalo net, where Geekie successfully banked the puck off Levi to take a 4-0 lead. Boston has been lacking that second power-play unit lately, as they connected on each goal.
Buffalo Loses to the Bruins in the Third Period
The Bruins have struggled in the third quarter lately, losing in overtime after squandering three one-goal leads. Having a 4-0 lead going into the third should be unbeatable, but nothing is guaranteed considering Boston’s recent performance in the third quarter.
For forty minutes, Buffalo was the better team, but in the third quarter, they turned the tables and won the play against the Black and Gold.
Erik Johnson’s third goal of the season at 5:11 of the period gave the Sabres their first lead against Jeremy Swayman, but that was the only scoring opportunity they could create. The team had nine shots on goal in the period. When Danton Heinen was punished for a penalty early in the period, they had a chance, but the Bruins killed it. Montgomery’s team responded admirably in the last 20 minutes.
Bruins Quick Takeaways
After the three-day break, Montgomery was hoping for the same effort and outcome. With one of their better 60-minute performances this month, Boston ended their four-game losing run. Although it was only their fourth regulation victory of the month, it was much needed given their upcoming difficult back-to-back games against the Detroit Red Wings on the road on December 31 and the New Jersey Devils at home on December 30.
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