Two in the Box

David Pastrnak was held off the scoresheet for the last two games. He found his way back to it on Tuesday night in the most meaningful way possible. Pastrnak got behind Mattias Samuelsson in overtime as the Bruins disrupted Buffalo’s zone entry and after being stymied on his first two breakaway attempts in the series, Pastrnak made no mistake this time, sending the series back to Boston for game six. 

The entry that was broken up looked dangerous too. Ryan McLeod was streaking open high in the Boston slot. Had Krebs gotten his pass through, we might be having a much different conversation. Krebs not getting that pass through was something of a theme for the Sabres tonight. It seemed that there were too many occasions with errant or intercepted passes where the Sabres simply weren’t as crisp as they were on Sunday. Credit is due to the Bruins here as well. Boston was far more assertive in game five and they consistently eliminated Buffalo’s time and space. That showed up in several places, including the shot clock, where the Sabres only managed 21 shots on goal in regulation. 

They were still just one shot away in overtime. Buffalo had started to press the issue in the extra period as well. The Bruins were content to weather the storm and catch the Sabres on a counter, and it played out perfectly. However, there were a few opportunities for the Sabres to end it as well. Perhaps none bigger than the look Alex Tuch got in the slot off an effective cycle. Much like the intercepted pass to McLeod, a few more inches of elevation from Tuch and the Sabres would be scheduling games for round two. 

The first period breakthrough the Sabres had been searching for over the first three games of the series finally came. Buffalo translated another hot start into an onslaught of goals that effectively ended the game after 20 minutes. 

Buffalo’s starts have been the one through-line of this series. They have pressed Boston early in each game, consistently harassing the Bruins defense and creating chances off of turnovers. Even in game two, when the Sabres turned in a largely flat performance, the opening eight minutes of the game was an impressive display. The only thing they were lacking was an early breakthrough. Buffalo more than made up for the elusive first goal with a four-goal first period and carrying their hot first period to a 3-1 series lead. 

The Sabres are back in front of their first round series after a 3-1 road win in Boston. Noah Ostlund provided a spark as the Sabres had to come from behind once again to topple the Bruins.

Buffalo played more to their identity in game three, producing an effort that looked much more like game one than game two. Thursday’s tilt wasn’t without its dramatic points. The Sabres surrendered the first goal once again and the power play is still listless. There were also some moments where the Sabres struggled in transition and generating dangerous chances. On balance, the Sabres did a better job getting pucks to the slot and to the crease, creating a more chaotic environment for Jeremy Swayman to manage.

Let’s start with the obvious. This wasn’t going to be a sweep. No matter how good the vibes were after game one, this was going to take more than four games to settle. Now, the series goes back to Boston at 1-1 after the Bruins cruised to a 4-2 win in game two. 

It was the Bruins turn to be the imposing team after the Sabres were the better side in game one. Boston choked out Buffalo in transition and eliminated the forecheck that allowed the Sabres to maintain an impressive level of pressure in game one. The Sabres played a role in that as well, exhibiting a level of sloppiness in possession that was absent on Sunday. But the Bruins deserve credit for countering what made the Sabres so impressive in game one and exerting control for large portions of the game. David Pastrnak picked up two more points along the way. That’s two multi-point efforts for the Bruins’ star and five points total in the series. He’s been a difference maker. 

Score effects will make Buffalo’s shot totals look favorable, but they were held in check for most of the opening 40 minutes. A good encapsulation of Buffalo’s struggles to generate looks came in the second period. Opening on the power play, the Sabres registered a shot 39 seconds in courtesy of Tage Thompson. Buffalo’s next shot didn’t come until the 10:34 mark (also a Tage Thompson attempt on the power play). The two shots from Thompson were the only two of the period to come from inside 10 feet. Buffalo’s other six shots came from 36 feet or further away.