At one point, the Boston Bruins were able to come back from being down a goal, put up two and hold a 2-1 lead for basically all of the second period. However, they experienced a third-period deflation that allowed the Buffalo Sabres to sneak up on them, grab the lead, add some more and win 4-2.
Maybe the only bright spot of the game for Bruins fans is the fact that Dougie Hamilton scored his first NHL goal. It was even scored on the power play, which is another weak spot for Boston. He actually had his second multi-point game this evening when he put up an assist on Rich Peverley's go-ahead goal in the second period.
But the Bruins collapsed in the third period and suddenly the tide of the game churned harder than the waters of Niagara Falls--in the direction of the home team. They scored three unanswered goals to secure the 4-2 victory.
One particular area of concern should be on Boston's blue line, where the defensemen could often be seen not providing adequate coverage or doing enough to stop Sabres from scoring.
For example, Andrew Ference has registered negative ratings in five of his games played so far this season, including tonight, when he had a -2 rating. He will become a free agent at the end of the season and may be looking to renew his contract with the Bruins, but his performance may be a worry for general manager Peter Chiarelli.
Next, the Bruins will travel to play the Winnipeg Jets at 6 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 17.
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