• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres Division Foes: Boston Bruins

By Ryan Womeldorf August 28th, 2013

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

With the reformatting of the divisional format in the NHL, you might be left with questions about the team’s in Buffalo’s division, the Atlantic Division. Who will the Sabres be seeing a lot of? Where will they shake out?

Thankfully for you, that’s where I come in. Welcome to your guide to the division.

Who?

Boston Bruins

What did they do last year?

Heading into the season, the Bruins faced a little turmoil. Goalie Tim Thomas decided he’d like to take a year off from hockey. This following his insane Facebook posts regarding politics and his decision to boycott a team visit to the White House.

(Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

(Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

In stepped Tuukka Rask, Thomas’ backup and an emerging star. The Bruins wound up being apart of the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins ran away with the conference, backed by so much talent that they could sustain the loss of Sidney Crosby for a chunk of time. Turns out that talent thing is helpful.

The Bruins also found competition from division rival Montreal. The Canadiens weren’t expected to be much of anything but wound up finishing as the second seed in the East, winning the Northeast Division.

As the fourth seed, the Bruins rolled into the playoffs and nearly blew a 3-1 series lead, dropping games five and six before falling behind 4-1 in the third period to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A frantic comeback later and the Bruins were on their way. Rolling through the New York Rangers in five games and then sweeping the mighty Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins squared off against the Chicago Blackhawks in an epic final, losing in six games.

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

What do they look like for this year?

When you make a run to the Stanley Cup Finals, people gots to get paid. And paid they gots. Rask and Patrice Bergeron, who proved to be the world’s toughest man during the Final, both got eight-year deals; Bergeron’s for $52M, Rask’s for $56M.

Jaromir Jagr, who became everyone’s favorite “legend who could be on the way out” was on the way out – just to a new team for this season. Replacing him? Jarome Iginla and some sweet, sweet irony. Why? Oh, you know, that whole episode where the Bruins thought they had a deal with the Flames at the trade deadline to land the veteran scorer only to be rebuffed by Iginla so that he could go to Pittsburgh. Which must’ve made that sweep in the Conference Finals even more sweeter. If only we’d had GM Peter Chiarelli mic’d up for that.

Also gone? Young stud center/winger Tyler Seguin. Turns out, the Bruins didn’t take real kindly to the fact that he was partying like Patrick Kane but not scoring like him. Repeated warnings, a supposed sentence of house arrest in his hotel room, and angry public statements from Chiarelli weren’t enough to straighten him out and next thing you know, he’s gone to Dallas where he immediately made a gay joke that no one found funny. Coming back is everyone’s favorite underrated winger, Loui Eriksson. Not a bad deal.

2013/14 Meetings w/Buffalo

10/23 @ Buffalo
12/19 @ Buffalo
12/21 @ Boston
2/26 @ Buffalo
4/12 @ Boston

Where do the Sabres stand?

Funny enough, the Sabres seemed to have focused all of their off-season efforts last year solely on competing with the Bruins. After the Ryan Miller/Milan Lucic incident of the previous year, in which Lucic bowled over the Buffalo netminder and didn’t even have to fight anyone afterwards, the Sabres looked to get bigger and tougher and focused less on actually winning hockey games.

Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller

Lucic: Goalie terrorist – Moments after the Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller (Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE)

They brought in Steve Ott, who proved to be the guy you love on your team but absolutely despise if he’s not, and giant tough guy John Scott whose season basically encompassed no one wanting to fight him after he KO’d Boston’s Shawn Thornton.

Still, the clearly overmatched Sabres managed to play the Bruins tough. They took three of five from the B’s and played them tight in both losses. Turns out, Ryan Miller also enjoys playing the Bruins. He earned a three stars of the game nomination in every game according to NHL.com and flat out stole two games and nearly a third.

The Sabres seem to amp themselves up for the Bruins and as long as Miller and Lucic are on opposite sides, there will be fodder to get the Sabres ready to play the big, bad Bruins.

Follow me on Twitter: @RWTFC

The NHL regular season schedule was released on Friday. Check out our partners at TiqIQ for the best deals on Buffalo Sabres tickets for all 2013-14 games.

  • Tags
  • Milan Lucic
  • Patrice Bergeron
  • Ryan Miller
  • Tuukka Rask
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 22nd 11:37 AM
Archives

50 in 50 for Mike Bossy

Jan 22nd 11:25 AM
Montreal Canadiens

Prospects News & Rumors: Caufield, Dobes, Power & More

Jan 22nd 11:15 AM
Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars Road Schedule Ravaged By COVID-19

Jan 22nd 10:55 AM
College Hockey

College Hockey Report: Riley vs. Riley, Family Members Faceoff Behind the Bench

Jan 22nd 10:45 AM
Nashville Predators

Predators: 3 Early Observations From the Young Season

Jan 22nd 10:35 AM
Washington Capitals

Capitals’ Backstrom Is Most Underrated Player in the NHL

Jan 22nd 10:25 AM
Colorado Avalanche

Kings Turn Tables On Avalanche For 4-2 Win

Jan 22nd 10:15 AM
Dallas Stars

3 Focuses for the Dallas Stars on Opening Night

Jan 22nd 10:05 AM
New York Islanders

Islanders Top Devils as Mat Barzal Continues to Grow

Jan 22nd 9:55 AM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Will Never Replace Joe Thornton in the Locker Room

Editor’s Picks
2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information