Need to Know: Bruins at Sabres

BUFFALO - Matt Grzelcyk will be back in the lineup on Tuesday night when the Bruins kick off a five-game road trip with the first of three against the Buffalo Sabres. The blue liner had missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.
Jakub Zboril, who sat out Sunday's win over Washington due to a non-COVID related illness, will also return in Buffalo and switch to his off-side to play with Jeremy Lauzon on Boston's third defense pairing.
Steven Kampfer, who has been dealing with a minor injury, and Jarred Tinordi, who left Sunday's game with a facial injury after taking a hit from behind into the boards, will be scratched.

Tuukka Rask will start two games this week, tonight and likely again on Friday. Jeremy Swayman is tentatively slotted in on Thursday.
"Some of that will depend on Jaro," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "He's still working his way back from COVID…we've got to see how Jaro is. [Wednesday] is actually a full practice, haven't head very many of those…with three guys in the mix, it's a little more difficult to pinpoint."

Opposing View

Buffalo is 6-3-2 in its last 11 games following an 18-game winless stretch that spanned most of March.
"They are coming together as a team," said Cassidy. "They're playing their best hockey that they've played all year. Our challenge…we've got to make sure we're focused on ready to go."
Former Bruins winger Anders Bjork, part of the deal that landed Boston Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar, has a goal and two assists in four games for the Sabres.
Forward Drake Caggiula, claimed off of waivers by Buffalo earlier this month, will make his Sabres debut on Tuesday night.
Dustin Tokarski, named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday, will make his fourth straight start in goal.

By The Numbers

• The Bruins visit the Sabres tonight in the fourth of eight games between these teams this season and the second of four at KeyBank Center. Boston has won all three previous matchups - a 4-1 win in Buffalo on March 18, a 3-2 victory in Boston on March 27, and a 3-2 home shootout win on April 13.
• The Bruins have won their last eight games vs. the Sabres with their last loss a 4-2 setback on Dec. 16, 2018. They are 17-3-1 in their last 21 games overall vs. Buffalo and are 22-4-3 in their last 29 of this all-time series.
• Boston is 11-1-0 in its last 12 games in Buffalo with the lone loss in that span a 4-1 loss on Feb. 25, 2018.
• Charlie Coyle is one point shy of his 300th NHL point.
• David Pastrnak is three goals short of his 200th NHL goal.

Tuesday's Projected Lineup

FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall - David Krejci - Craig Smith
Nick Ritchie - Charlie Coyle - Jake DeBrusk
Sean Kuraly - Curtis Lazar - Chris Wagner
DEFENSEMEN
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly - Connor Clifton
Jeremy Lauzon - Jakub Zboril
GOALIES
Tuukka Rask
Jeremy Swayman