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.
Three of the first period came as a result of Buffalo’s relentless forecheck and the fourth was nearly the first power play goal of the series for the club. The heavy forecheck the Sabres have employed in this series has regularly ate up Boston’s defensemen, who have struggled to facilitate exits and make any sort of positive impact against Buffalo’s forwards.
The recipe for winning games, and therefore the series, is clear. If Buffalo adheres to their identity and maintains the pressure cooker in Boston’s offensive zone, they will suffocate the Bruins and will have an excellent opportunity to close out the series at home on Tuesday.
Lyon Stays Steady
Alex Lyon turned in another strong performance for the Sabres. His team made it easy on him, particularly in the first period. But even in the second, when the Sabres played a little more casual and the Bruins had a bit of life, most of the looks he faced were perimeter shots. Lyon was good when he needed to be on Sunday and has been the stabilizing presence the Sabres needed when they turned to him after game two.
Byram’s Hot Streak
In some ways it makes sense that one of the players on this roster who has seen a Stanley Cup Final would be among Buffalo’s strongest performers. Byram is tied for the team lead in goals and has been consistently pushing pace in each game. The production is a nice bonus for a pairing with Bowen Byram that has been arguably the strongest pair on Buffalo’s blueline through the first four games.
Committing to the Bit
There has been a distinct change in energy comparing games three and four to game two. The Sabres spent an awful lot of time engaging the Bruins (especially after the whistle) and showing just how tough they can be. The didn’t bother with that in games three and four – and didn’t spend a whole lot of time on the matter in game one – and the results reflected that. The Sabres have been assertive throughout the series and their greatest weapon has been their ability to suffocate the Bruins in their own end and limit offensive chances. Even aside from Nikita Zadorov’s late game snap show, the Bruins didn’t expend a ton of effort trying to drag the Sabres back into the mud. I’ll be interested to see if they push a bit harder in that direction on Tuesday. If the Sabres maintain their style and their discipline they’ll be scheduling round two games by Wednesday.
The Driver’s Seat
The Sabres can end this series on Tuesday. Even considering the last five months of hockey, that’s a pretty wild thought. At this point, fans should be pretty well acclimated to what makes the Sabres and effective and entertaining team, but I would venture a guess that few thought they would be coming back home for game five after two such dominating performances.
This is all uncharted territory for this group. Coming home for a closeout game is just as new to them as game one was, or coming into game two with a lead. I don’t mean for this to be so repetitive but if they maintain their play style on Tuesday, I have every expectation that they will win. When they stick to their style, they’re simply too much for the Bruins to handle. Buffalo has suffocated Boston’s offense, they’ve taken advantage of the depth imbalance and they’ve come away with a stranglehold on the series. All that’s left is to close it out.
Two in the Box 