Game 2 Preview: Bruins look to bounce back in Buffalo

Game notes

• After a calamitous five-minute stretch saw them lose control of Game 1, the Bruins will be looking to bounce back with a more solid all-around effort in Game 2. 60 minutes of good play instead of 52, or something like that.
• Marco Sturm has called on his group to regroup and recharge after Game 1, saying that his team is ready for a long series. He also got philosophical, according to NHL.com, saying “yesterday was yesterday, today is today. It’s actually sunny here in Buffalo.” Valid points, Marco.
• Performance at the face-off dot was supposed to be a strength for the Bruins in this series: they had the fourth-best team winning percentage in the league during the regular season, while Buffalo was the worst face-off team in the NHL. In Game 1, however, the teams were just about even: the Bruins won 32 face-offs, while the Sabres won 31.
• Sturm didn’t mention any lineup changes in his media availability on Monday, though that doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t have any up his sleeve. It seems a little early to be bringing in a new body on defense or up front, but he may have to consider some line-juggling if the second line struggles again tonight.
• The Bruins can make things significantly easier on themselves if they take care of the puck better, particularly below their own goal line. While Buffalo certainly deserves credit for seizing their opportunities (and forcing those turnovers), the Bruins’ own carelessness with the puck led directly to Buffalo’s three non-empty-net goals in Game 1.
• The B’s will also need to adjust to Buffalo’s tenacious forecheck, which seemed to wear the Bruins defensemen down as the game progressed. After dealing with it for 60 minutes, the Bruins will need to be better equipped to handle the pressure or this will be a short series.
• While shots on net aren’t everything, it’s worth pointing out that the Bruins failed to land double-digit shots on net in any period on Sunday: they went 9-4-7 across the three periods, with that second period particularly woeful. See ya tonight!