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Sabres look to keep rolling against Bruins

Oct 21, 2008 - 6:51 PM Boston (2-1-2) at Buffalo (4-0-1), 7:00 pm EDT

BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- The Buffalo Sabres have apparently put the memory of last season's slow start behind them.

As only one of four teams without a loss in regulation in 2008-09, the Sabres host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday for a matchup of much-improved Northeast Division rivals.

Buffalo began the season on a four-game win streak, but fell to the Atlanta Thrashers, 3-2, in a shootout on Saturday. During its stretch before the trip to Atlanta, the team outscored opponents, 17-5, including a 7-1 victory over the New York Islanders.

Last season, the Sabres skated to a pedestrian 6-10-1 record after 17 games.

One of the main reasons for such a drastic turnaround has been Thomas Vanek's rousing start. The 24-year-old Austria native has a league-leading seven goals and has chipped in two assists.

Vanek has 28 points in 24 career games against the Bruins, and the Sabres are 14-0-2 against them when the he has at least one point.

Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller is 11-3-4 with a 2.50 goals-against average in his career against Boston.

The Bruins are coming off a tough 2-1 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in its home opener on Monday. Tim Thomas made 31 saves and Phil Kessel netted his fifth goal of the season in the setback.

However, a healthy Patrice Bergeron has the Bruins looking a lot better than last season's club, which struggled to make the playoffs without its young center.

Bergeron has recorded four assists in five games, giving him three less points than he had all of last season when he suffered a season-ending concussion after 10 games.