3 Takeaways From Bruins’ 5-2 Win Over Sabres

Danton Heinen got the scoring going for the Bruins early in the first with his first of the season. The 28-year-old winger worked hard in front of the net and put it past Devon Levi. Later on in the first, defenseman Brandon Carlo got his first off the season. Linus Ullmark dove out of his net to get a loose puck and that launched a 3-on-1 for the Bruins. From there, Carlo would get a great feed from David Pastrnak and bury it home. In the second, Oskar Steen intercepted a Sabres pass in their defensive zone and quickly roofed it past Levi for his first of the campaign. Hampus Lindholm also got his first of the season by firing a snapshot from the point. Given his slow start to the season, this was needed.

It was great to see so many different Bruins finally break the ice and get their first goals of the season. The Bruins will be hoping that this kind of production continues from their entire lineup, as it would only make them a far better team.

Ullmark Shuts the Door

While the Bruins’ offensive explosion is the biggest talking point from this contest, Ullmark’s play should not be overlooked. It was another excellent night from the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, who saved 32 out of 34 shots. Overall, his former club kept him busy, but he shut the door and helped the Bruins secure two points in the process.

As the game continued, the Sabres were taking more shots at Ullmark, but he stood tall and did not allow them to get back into this contest. Had he had an off night, the score could have been closer for the Sabres, as he faced some high-danger chances in this contest.

With this win, Ullmark has improved to a 6-1-1 record, a 2.23 goals-against average (GAA), and a .928 save percentage (SV%). The 30-year-old has been off to a great start this season, and that only continued against the Sabres.

Bruins Simply Outplayed Sabres

While the Sabres scored the final two goals of this contest, it is fair to say that the Bruins heavily outplayed them. Besides the Bruins successfully capitalizing on their scoring chances, they looked far more energized throughout the game. They created more scoring chances, were sound defensively, and were far more engaged than the Sabres throughout the game. In the end, the Bruins won because of it.

After their disappointing loss to the Canadiens, it is clear that the Bruins got the message, as they put up a great response game to the Sabres. The goal from here will be to keep this kind of play going.

The Bruins will face off against the Canadiens on Nov. 18 for their next game. When noting that they fell to them during their last meeting, they will look to redeem themselves during this contest. We will need to wait and see if they do just that.