Bruins Head To Buffalo With Important Two points On The Line Sunday

The Boston Bruins are in the thick of the race to win the Northeast division. They’ll need to be better within that division if they are going to come out on top. The Bruins are set to renew hostilities with the Buffalo Sabres Sunday night, with an important two points on the line. Boston is battling with the Montreal Canadiens for first place in the division, but has lost two of its first three games in this season series and will be in tough against a Sabres’ team that is fighting to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres
Sunday March 31, 2013 – 7:30 PM ET
First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York
NHL Sports Betting Line: Boston – 130

Buffalo has responded to the way the Bruins bullied them around last season, but is still searching for a more consistent team effort. The Sabres have struggled at both ends of the ice, and will need to find a way to create more scoring opportunities while limiting the turnovers that have really hurt the team so far this online sports betting season.

NHL Betting Preview: Boston Bruins

The Bruins have ranked among the most consistent teams in the NHL once again this season, and their blend of pure size and skill makes them a tough opponent to deal with on any night. Boston is a team built for playoff hockey, and players like Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, and Nathan Horton can both wear opponents down with their hitting and score goals, while opening up space for the pure skill players like Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. The Bruins rank in the top-10 in goals per game despite owning the league’s 22^nd-ranked powerplay, and their ability to score at even-strength is that much more impressive when you consider they rank third in goals per game allowed.

NHL Betting Preview: Buffalo Sabres

Building a team with a similar mould to what Boston has is something that Buffalo has wanted to do, but there are only so many players that offer the complete package the way the Bruins’ players have. The Sabres added some toughness with Steve Ott, but the problem is that their skill players are still struggling to find room and develop chemistry, particularly with all of the new faces that have been added to the organization in the past year. Another part of the problem has been the play of netminder Ryan Miller, who has struggled to keep his GAA under 3.00. Buffalo needs Miller to be its best player most nights, and he is still struggling to find his game after the hit he took from Milan Lucic more than a year ago.

NHL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

With the trade deadline approaching and a number of teams still ahead of the Sabres in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the trade deadline will be an uncomfortable time for players in Buffalo. The Bruins haven’t gotten the job done in two of the first three meetings in this online betting season series, so look for them to respond with a big win.