The Sabres and Bruins will conclude their season series with a pair of games this week, with the two teams set to meet again in Boston next Saturday. In both instances, the stakes will be high - the Sabres currently hold a three-point lead on the Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division.
"These are huge games," defenseman Jake McCabe said. "You're talking about a four-point swing, so it's very crucial for us to get off to a good start."
Pominville and Kyle Okposo spoke Friday about the difficulty of the road ahead for the Sabres, many of whom are finding themselves in the thick of their first playoff race as the second half nears. The upcoming week also features matchups against the Islanders and Panthers, both of whom are pushing to climb into playoff spots in the Easter Conference.
"The guys have done a really good job of knowing the situation," Housley said. "Obviously, we know it's a big game tonight. We're going to control what we're going to control, and that's play. It's great that we're in a position that we're in, playing some really meaningful games at this point in the season. I think the guys will embrace this."
The Bruins will be without forward Brad Marchand and defenseman Charlie McAvoy coming off losses in their last two games against Carolina and New Jersey. Tuukka Rask will start in net.
The Sabres beat the Bruins in their last meeting, a 4-2 victory in Boston on Dec. 16. Jack Eichel tallied a season-high four points in that game.
"I think we played a full 60 minutes against these guys last time," McCabe said. "It's going to be a tough game. There's going to be waves and they've got a lot of fire power over there, so we have to limit their opportunities, keep them off the power play as much as possible and just kind of stick to our game plan."
