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.
Although the Sabres didn’t score first, they managed to find the back of the net in the opening 40 minutes, which is a positive step forward. Ostlund’s pass to Byram was outstanding and the build up of the play – Ostlund collecting the puck in the neutral zone, carrying the puck deep and feeding a trailing defenseman with a pass that crossed the slot line – was emblematic of the identity that makes the Sabres so difficult to manage.
I maintain that game one was a fairly emphatic show of dominance from the Sabres. They were imposing on the forecheck and were a bit unlucky to have gone 50-plus minutes without a goal in that game. Game three wasn’t quite as impressive as the Sabres only had 12 more shot attempts at even strength compared to their 21-attempt advantage in game one. However, it was evident that the Sabres avoided getting dragged into the mud like they did in game two, which made them far more effective on Thursday night.
Ostlund Has The Juice
Ostlund was out for nearly an entire month with injury, which was a much longer recovery than I think many expected. He was one of the key players in Buffalo’s turnaround this season and he has a similar blend of skill and tenacity Zach Benson and Josh Doan. Inserting another high-energy driver into this lineup, even on the same line as the other two, has a profound impact on how Buffalo’s forwards play.
I’m sure the immediate opinion of many will be to keep him in even if Josh Norris is healthy, but you know that isn’t how Lindy Ruff is going to operate. I don’t have any concern that Osltund will be coming out of this lineup any time soon. He proved his worth time and again during the regular season and made an immediate impact in game three. Even when Norris comes back, they’ll find a spot for Ostlund in this forward group. They should probably find a spot for him on the first power play unit as well, because his playmaking is something that unit sorely needs.
Taking Away Swayman’s Eyes
Marco Sturm’s comments on Swayman getting poked and bumped will get some air between Friday and Sunday, and it’s possible that the referees are more vigilant in policing the Sabres in that department. There were a couple of instances on Thursday when the official was a little slow on the whistle and the Sabres pulled out pucks that were covered or nearly covered. So I can see where some of the complaints are coming from. Other instances haven’t looked any different than the type of thing you’d see in the regular season, let alone the playoffs.
The Sabres may be making a concerted effort to get in Swayman’s kitchen a bit just to try and get under his skin, but anything they’re doing in and around the whistles isn’t of much interest to me. What’s been far more notable is how the Sabres have scored their goals. Other than Tage Thompson’s two goals in game one which came off a really great individual effort, the Sabres have beaten Swayman when they’ve either taken away his eyes or made him work through traffic. Here’s a very brief and broad breakdown of each goal:
- Samuelsson, game one: Pass from the corner with Jason Zucker in front
- Byram, game two: Pass from behind the net with Josh Dunne in front
- Krebs, game two: Rebound on crease after point shot through two Bruins
- Bryam, game three: Pass from corner, fairly open look
- Tuch, game three: Shot from the circle, Thompson in front
With the exception of Byram’s goal in game three, every other time the Sabres have beaten Swayman by taking away his eyes and shooting through traffic. It is also telling that the Sabres have scored off several plays where the puck has moved across the slot line (or into it). Kevin Woodley of InGoal Magazine regularly talks about how scoring chances increase when pucks cross the slot line. Three of Buffalo’s goals in the series have either crossed the slot line or come from a low to high pass. The combination of changing the attack point and generating traffic appears to be the recipe for beating Swayman. It is imperative that the Sabres continue that on Sunday and beyond.
Ruff’s Gamble in Goal Pays Off
I think playing Alex Lyon was the right call. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was good, but not great, in game one. His collapse in game two was the difference. It was logical to go to Lyon. Why carry two capable goalies if you aren’t going to use them? There was still an element of gambling to the decision. Lyon had a lot of time off and had gotten dinged up along the way. It’s just as plausible that Ruff was sending a cold goalie into a hostile environment as he was making a wise, strategic change. Lyon delivered for his coach. He was terrific in the third as Boston pressed to tie and he made a number of big saves when the game was still 0-0. I’d expect to see Lyon again when the puck drops for game four.
Blueline Engagement
One thing that was lacking through the first two games was the active blueline that was a hallmark of Buffalo’s regular season success. It’s my suspicion that both the coaches and players are embracing a slightly more conservative mindset now that the stakes are higher. It was encouraging to see the Sabres defensemen show a bit more life in transition in game three. The Byram-Owen Power pairing was especially good on Thursday. I can appreciate the desire to scale back some of the freewheeling play, especially since the Bruins have created several breakaways. But the dynamic d-corps adds a layer to Buffalo’s attack that few teams can match or effectively handle. Buffalo can really hammer Boston’s depth forwards when their defense engages and I think the uptick in their activation in game three was a factor in the Sabres taking a 2-1 series lead.
Two in the Box 