Sabres at Bruins | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

BOSTON – The Buffalo Sabres will look to build on their recent home success when they open a four-game road trip against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Monday.

The Sabres won their last two home games against Edmonton and Vegas but have dropped their last eight contests on the road, including a 7-3 defeat in Detroit last Wednesday.

“We have to play a better game on the road,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “I thought the last 40 minutes in Montreal (a 4-3 overtime loss on March 3) was good hockey. The Detroit game was not good in any sense. We’ve got to simplify our game, we’ve got to take care of the puck better, we’ve got to stay out of the penalty box on the road.”

The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)

Streaming (out of market): ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Click here for more ways to watch Sabres games.

Lineup notes (updated 11:55 a.m.)

JJ Peterka (lower body) was on the ice for the team’s morning skate but will be out tonight, Ruff said. Peterka is on track to join the lineup in Utah on Thursday.

Josh Norris (undisclosed) and Jiri Kulich (concussion) were both absent from the morning skate and are out tonight.

Brett Murray is expected to make his season debut at forward after being recalled from Rochester on Sunday. The 6-foot-5 winger ranks second on the Amerks this season with 23 goals in 55 games.

“He’s been really good down there, really good around the net,” Ruff said. “I feel you can get a big body, the way we’ve played on the road, but a bigger man in, harder on the walls. And (we’ll) see. He deserves a look. He’s done a lot of good things down there.”

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start in goal. Here’s the full projected lineup based on the morning skate:

Storylines

1. On the road

The Sabres play 10 of their remaining 17 games on the road, which presents an opportunity to solve what have been season-long struggles away from KeyBank Center.

Buffalo is 9-20-3 away from home this season when you account for a neutral-site loss in Prague to open the season. It’s a steep drop-off from the team’s 17-13-3 record at KeyBank Center (a .561 point percentage).

Ruff said simplicity is the focus going into these upcoming road games: wait for opportunities and take advantage when they present themselves.

“We’ve played better defensively, a lot better defensively, at home for the most part and we’ve got to take that on the road with us,” Ruff said. “Keep it simple, manage the puck, and look for opportunities.”

2. McLeod stepping up

Amid injuries to the forward group, Ryan McLeod has logged his three of his six highest ice times of the season in Buffalo’s last five games – including 22:05 in the win over Vegas.

McLeod has five points during that five-game stretch. He scored Buffalo’s first goal in the win over the Golden Knights, then used his speed to force a turnover that led to a power-play goal for Jason Zucker. He also won 16 of 20 draws in that game.

“He’s playing so good right now,” Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said of McLeod. “He’s a huge piece for us.”

3. Scouting the Bruins

Boston underwent a major identity change at the trade deadline with the departure of captain Brad Marchand, who was dealt to Florida. The Bruins also traded center Charlie Coyle to Colorado as part of a deal that brought back former Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt.

The Bruins won their first two games after the deadline but have since allowed a combined 12 goals in losses to Ottawa and Tampa Bay. They sit four points out of a wild card spot.

The Sabres will see another familiar face in defenseman Henri Jokiharju, who was traded to the Bruins ahead of the deadline in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Jokiharju skated a season-high 22:46 in Boston’s most recent game, a 6-2 loss to the Lightning.