Recap: Power play lifts Bruins to 4-1 win over Buffalo

Three PPGs tend to be enough most nights.

A strong power play and great individual games from a number of players lifted the Bruins to a 4-0 win over Buffalo, ending their losing streak at four games.

Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand had two assists each, while Charlie Coyle scored twice to lead the way for the B’s.

To the highlights!

Mason Lohrei got things started for the Bruins, cashing in on a rebound to make it 1-0 Bruins five minutes into the game.

Charlie Coyle doubled the lead late in the first, camping out in front of the net where Jake DeBrusk found him to make it 2-0 Bruins on the power play.

The Coyle-DeBrusk Power Play Connection would pay dividends for the Bruins again early in the first, as Coyle cashed in for his second goal of the night to make it 3-0 Bruins.

The Sabres were inches away from getting themselves back into the game at 3-1, but Charlie McAvoy intervened with some excellent hand-eye coordination to keep it a 3-0 Bruins lead.

The Bruins would cash in on the power play again just a few minutes later, with Morgan Geekie collecting a wacky bounce and beating Devon Levi to make it 4-0 Bruins.

Erik Johnson would add a consolation tally for Buffalo five minutes into the first, but the Sabres really never threatened to get back into the game.

Final: 4-1 Bruins, and the losing streak is over.

Game notes

• While certainly not perfect, tonight’s game went about as well as you could have hoped for a team mired in a bit of a funk, especially when you consider it’s the first game back after a break.
• Buffalo was dealt a bit of a blow shortly before the game began, when it was announced that Tage Thompson would be missing the game due to personal reasons. Hopefully everything is all right with Thompson.
• It’s a little silly to distill the game down to a single stat comparison, but the Bruins went 3-for-4 on the power play tonight. Buffalo? 0-for-6.
• Two guys who needed to get going propelled the B’s to the win tonight, as Jake DeBrusk had two assists and Charlie Coyle had two goals. While DeBrusk needs to start finding the back of the net himself soon, games like tonight show how effective he can be distributing the puck as well.
• This game had some weird calls on both sides. Maybe we should cut the refs some slack as they shake off the Christmas Break rust too.
• While he didn’t end up on the scoresheet, Hampus Lindholm had a great game tonight.

The Bruins will now have a couple of days off before hosting the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

That game will be followed by a New Year’s Eve trip to the Bruins’ kryptonite in Detroit.