Sabres vs. Bruins | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

After taking care of business and collecting seven of eight points on the road, the Buffalo Sabres are in the home stretch (literally) of the 2025-26 regular season.

Buffalo will play seven of its last 11 games at KeyBank Center, beginning Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against the Boston Bruins.

“Coming back from a long trip, you always fear that first game, to get settled in,” said coach Lindy Ruff, turning his focus to the next game as always, after Sunday’s 6-5 overtime loss in Anaheim.

Well, the Sabres have had eight multi-game road trips this season, and they’ve gone 6-1-0 in those first games back home. Overall, they’re 22-9-3 (.691) at home, which would be their best home record since 2006-07 (.720).

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The Sabres have drawn 11 consecutive sellout crowds, and the home-ice support should only keep growing with the playoffs weeks away.

Wednesday's visitors are a very realistic playoff opponent, and if the season ended today, the Bruins would be returning to Buffalo to open the first round. The Sabres have gone 1-1-1 against them this season.

Here’s what you need to know before puck drop.

• Path to the Playoffs | Standings, games to watch

How to watch

TV (National): TNT, truTV

Streaming: HBO Max

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes (updated 11 a.m.)

It’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s turn to start in net. He’s 6-1-0 with a .935 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average since the break, and MoneyPuck credits him with 8.9 goals saved above expected in his last 10 games. He's also 4-0-0 against the Bruins since last season.

Mattias Samuelsson missed Tuesday’s practice due to illness but participated in the optional morning skate. He'll be a gametime decision, Ruff said.

Check back during 7 p.m. warmups for the full projected lineup.

Notable numbers

• The Sabres are 5-2-1 in nationally televised games this season.
• The Sabres are 15-4-3 versus Atlantic Division opponents, and four of those seven losses came in October.
• Buffalo already has its most wins (44) since 2009-10 (45).
• Rasmus Dahlin is plus-19 with 17 points (4+13) in his last 12 games. Only he, Nathan MacKinnon and J.J. Moser have been plus-19 or better in any 12-game span this season.
• Owen Power is plus-seven with five points (2+3) in his last seven games. On Sunday he set a career high with his eighth goal.
• Noah Ostlund has eight points (1+7) in his last 13 games. The Sabres are 18-3-2 when he records a point this season.
• Buffalo has outscored its opponents 4-0 with Logan Stanley and Zach Metsa deployed at 5-on-5. Read more about the third pair in Tuesday’s practice report.

Scouting the Bruins

The Bruins traveled in from Boston after losing 4-2 to Toronto on Tuesday. A 7-4-4 record since the Olympic break has them in the first wild card spot but still packed into the crowded Eastern Conference race.

Jeremy Swayman has been one of the best goalies in the league but played Tuesday, so backup Joonas Korpisalo figures to get the net against Buffalo. Buffalo has faced Korpisalo twice this season, beating him for six goals on 73 shots (.918 save percentage).

The Sabres have won three straight home matchups versus Boston by a combined score of 17-6, most recently a 4-1 win on Dec. 27.