Boston’s Special Teams Lift the Bruins, Ending a Four-Game Loss Skid

In the first game following the NHL’s mandatory holiday break, the Boston Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Wednesday night, snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Bruins defeated the Sabres 4-1 in their final meeting of the season, scoring three power-play goals in the first two periods. Boston won the season series 2-1-0, outscoring the Sabres 10-6 over the course of three games.

With the victory, the Bruins moved to 20-7-6 on the season and 5-3-3 in December, while the Sabres slipped to 14-18-4.

ONE MAJOR TAKEAWAY

Special teams played a significant role in Boston’s victory. The Bruins not only capitalized on three of four power play opportunities, but the penalty-killing teams blanked the Sabres on all six attempts.

Brad Marchand was given a two-minute penalty for cross-checking in the first period, and when the Bruins captain yelled at the officials over the call, he was given another two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Sabres should have gained momentum on the four-minute double minor, but instead, the Bruins penalty killers went to work and tilted the ice when Mason Lohrei notched his third goal of the season less than a minute after the penalty expired.

The Bruins are 109 for 126 when their opponents have the man advantage this season.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Charlie Coyle lit the lamp twice, both on the power play for the first time in his career, in the Bruins win. The Weymouth, Mass. native now has 12 goals on the season.

— Lohrei opened the scoring for the Bruins when collected the loose puck in front of the net when Devon Levi left the James van Riemsdyk rebound unprotected in the slot.

— Charlie McAvoy logged 23:26 minutes over 28 shifts. The New York native recorded an assist in the game and made a stick save behind Jeremy Swayman to keep the Sabres scoreless in the second period.

WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the odds of Coyle potting two or more goals in the game at +2900. The Bruins center cleared those odds with two power-play goals in the tilt. A $100 wager placed on Coyle would have netted a solid $3,900 payout.

UP NEXT
The Bruins return home for a matchup with the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.