After the New York Rangers traded Nash to the Bruins on Sunday morning, the left winger was stymied by goalie Chad Johnson as the Buffalo Sabres earned an easy 4-1 victory against Boston on Sunday evening at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Johnson made 34 saves and the Sabres got goals from Benoit Pouliot (12th of the season), Kyle Okposo (11th), Evan Rodrigues (fifth) and Marco Scandella (fourth) as the Sabres earned their third victory against the Bruins this season.
Charlie McAvoy (six) scored the lone goal for Boston and Anton Khudobin had 20 stops. The Bruins dropped their second straight, having lost 4-3 at Toronto on Saturday, to finish their road trip at 2-3-0.
Buffalo also beat Boston on Oct. 21 (5-4 in overtime) and Feb. 10 (4-2) and lost to the Bruins on Dec. 19 (3-0).
Buffalo led 2-0 after one period Sunday thanks to goals from Pouliot (at 14:26) and Okposo (16:31).
McAvoy trimmed the lead to 2-1 with his goal 3:35 into the second, but Rodrigues restored the two-goal margin at 7:50 of the middle period.
Scandella put the game away with a goal 3:22 into the third period.
Nash nearly had his first goal as a Bruin in the second period, but his shot clanged off the post.
Nash made the trip upstate from New York City after the trade was finalized earlier Sunday. The seven-time All-Star left winger fetched a hefty haul of Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, prospect Ryan Lindgren, a 2018 first-round draft pick and a 2019 seventh-rounder.
Boston also added veteran free agent right winger Brian Gionta on a one-year, $700,000 contract, a clear sign the Bruins are going all in on their pursuit of their first Stanley Cup title since 2011.
The Bruins sit in third place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind the conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
After completing the five-game road trip, Boston heads back home for five straight at TD Garden starting with a Tuesday game against Carolina. Buffalo opens a quick two-game trip Wednesday against Tampa Bay.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Buffalo | |
Charlie McAvoy 1 | Points | Evan Rodrigues 2 |
Charlie McAvoy 1 | Goals | Evan Rodrigues 1 |
Brad Marchand 1 | Assists | Victor Antipin 2 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Kyle Okposo 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Anton Khudobin .833 | Save Percentage | Chad Johnson .971 |
Anton Khudobin 20 | Saves | Chad Johnson 34 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Boston | 35 | 1 | 0-4 | 4-5 | 10 | 28 |
Buffalo | 24 | 4 | 1-5 | 4-4 | 8 | 36 |