The Edge will break down the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins to see which team has the advantage at each position. For a look at the defensive side of things, click here.
Buffalo Sabres
Since the lockout, Buffalo has had one of the most potent offenses in the NHL. (Then) young gunners Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville comprised a group that skated fast and scored faster.
Now, the core group (including Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and others) is older, more experienced, and possesses a synergy few offenses in the league can match.
The Sabres have scored 231 goals this year, good for 10th in the league. Buffalo’s scoring is balanced, however; 122 goals at home and 109 on the road.
Leading the charge this season was Derek Roy. Lighting the lamp 26 times and adding 43 assists through 80 games, Roy emerged as one of Buffalo’s best playmakers. His passing is crisp and accurate, his wrist shot is subtle but deadly.
Tim Connolly kept his head up for most of the season, avoiding another concussion. However, he did miss the end of the regular season, leaving Buffalo fans wondering if he’ll be good to go for the postseason. The Syracuse, N.Y., native is Buffalo’s power play quarterback, setting up plays and making I-can’t-believe-he-just-made-that-pass passes. Through 73 games, Connolly dished out 48 helpers and scored 17 goals—seven on the power play.
Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht both played up to their potential this season. Hecht, who is currently a question mark for the playoffs, put up 42 points with a +14 (someone put that guy on the ice!).
Pominville, whose fabled population went stagnant last year, came in this season and proved the naysayers wrong. “Pommer” played in all 82 games, scored 24 goals, added 38 assists and finished a +13. The Justin Timberlake look-a-like always goes into the postseason on a roll, and Buffalo will need him to continue the streak.
Thomas Vanek. Ah, what can we say? Big-time contract mixed with a 40-goal season in 2008-09?
Lindy Ruff pushed the “Vanek” button just at the right time. Vanek comes into the postseason on a two-game, five-goal streak, pushing his season total to a team-high 28. He has been a disappointment this season, but Sabres fans everywhere will forget his regular season mediocrity if he brings the Stanley Cup to Buffalo.
As for the rest, the Sabres have a tight group. Youngster Tyler Ennis has made a case to stay in a Sabres uniform through the postseason, as has Nathan Gerbe.
Bruiser Pat Kaleta will need to keep the hits coming fast and hard, because his physicality on the ice can change the momentum of a game.
Mike Grier and Paul Gaustad are gritty, hard-working bodies that win puck battles.
Boston Bruins
Boston comes into this postseason with the lowest-scoring offense in the league.
The Bruins have scored just 196 goals this year. To put it in perspective, Alex Ovechkin and the high-flying Capitals have lit the lamp 313 times.
Boston has scored 99 goals at home and 97 on the road, so they do have somewhat balanced scoring.
The boys of Beantown have just one 20-goal scorer in Marco Sturm, whose 37 points rank sixth on the team.
Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci sit atop the roster at 52 points apiece. Bergeron, who played in 73 games, scored 19 goals—four of which were game winners.
Losing Marc Savard to a season-ending concussion didn’t help the Bruins’ offensive campaign. But even before Savard was hurt, he only had 10 goals and 23 assists through 41 games.
The Bruins couldn’t have wound up with a worse opponent. With Ryan Miller in net and Boston unable to muster any type of strong offense, this series could be over quickly.
THE EDGE: BUFFALO
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It’s no secret that a majority of the Buffalo Sabres’ playoff hopes will be resting on the pads of Vezina-favorite Ryan Miller, but the defense in front of him will play an equally important role.
By now, everyone in the league knows about the 6’8” rookie phenom, Tyler Myers.
Myers played all 82 games for the Sabres and finished the season with 48 points. He led all rookies with almost 24 minutes of ice-time per game.
But Myers has played so well that he has actually improved the play of his defensive partner Henrik Tallinder.
Tallinder’s last two seasons in Buffalo have been a bit of a disappointment after two impressive seasons following the lockout. His 20:37 of ice-time is currently second on the team behind Myers.
Rounding out Buffalo’s consistent defensemen is Toni Lydman.
Lydman is in the exact same position as Tallinder. He came out firing after the lockout with two solid seasons, but then hit a wall for the last two seasons.
But this year Lydman has not been overworked and his defensive skills have improved as a result—might have something to do with the fact that, like Tallinder, Lydman is in a contract year.
The big question for the Sabres is which of the remaining defensemen will step up?
Steve Montador, Andrej Sekera, Chris Butler, and the captain, Craig Rivet, have all had inconsistent seasons and their unreliability may carry over into the playoffs.
The four defensemen have combined for 11 goals and a minus-22 rating this season; Myers has 11 goals and is a plus-13 by himself.
Montador has been better defensively as of late, and head coach Lindy Ruff picked up on it. Montador played over 21 minutes per game in each of Buffalo’s last four games.
Sekera and Butler have been interchangeable all season long.
Sekera was expected to be a big point producer from the blue line, in exchange for his lack of defensive skills. He finished with just 11 points in 49 games and averaged only 17:27 of ice-time.
Butler’s offensive statistics were surprisingly good this season. He played in 59 games but finished with 21 points. However, his defensive skills need improvement, as he was a team-worst minus-15.
But Butler’s defensive lapses can largely be attributed to his defensive partner, Rivet—arguably the worst of the Buffalo defensemen this season.
The team captain is expected to lead by example both on and off the ice. Rivet’s poorly timed pinches often left Butler by himself to defend odd-man rush after odd-man rush.
On top of that, Rivet is a slow skater and takes bad penalties as a result.
It can be expected that Myers will have to play a lot more than he did in the regular season if the Sabres want to advance. It will be interesting to see if the rookie can continue to respond with his stellar play.
Normally, it is the more well-balanced teams that raise the Cup at the end of the season—if Buffalo’s defensive troupes can come together for a couple of months, the team might have a chance.
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The regular season is finally over after a grueling six months. Now we get to see the best grind it out for another two months to reach the ultimate prize.
For the Flyers, Habs, and Bruins, the playoffs started about a week and half ago, as they ended the Rangers last drive to make the playoffs. Especially the Flyers, who needed to win the second game at home this past weekend against the Rangers.
Washington vs. Montreal
Washington is the highest scoring team. They also have the best differential with goals, for and against, at a whopping plus 85.
They clinched the Southeast Division at the end of February and the President’s trophy in mid-March.
A history note: No team ever has won the Cup their first year of winning the President’s trophy.
The Capitals will have to shake off some rust, as haven’t been exactly in game mode since the end of their 14-game winning streak.
They are deep in talent since they acquired Milan Juricina, Joe Corvo, Matt Walker, and Eric Belanger at the trade deadline. The Capitals have been able to rotate players in and out of the lineup with injuries and resting bodies for the playoffs.
Last year they entered the playoffs the same way and almost got ousted by the Rangers. Hopefully that doesn’t happen this year.
The Montreal Canadiens had their fair share of problems this entire season.
There were goaltending controversies, GM Bob Gainey resigned midway through the season, and both leading goal scorer Matt Cammalleri and Brian Gionta were out for an extended period of time. They lost Andrei Markov for three months, but were able to drive through with the help of Marc-Andre Bergeron.
Good things have happened this year for the Habs.
Despite a whole roster makeover in the summer, which saw long time Captain Saku Koivu exiled, the Habs were able to make the playoffs.
Thomas Plekanec was consistent all season long, Scott Gomez seemed to turn it on in the second half, and Gionta has been their best offensive weapon since returning from an injury.
Jaroslav Halek has been one of the best goaltenders all year and after a long duel with Carey Price, he looks to be the guy that will start in the playoffs.
Many fans wonder what took so long to name Halek the starter. Price hasn’t done worse than Halek, but the team plays better in front of Halek defensively and offensively. Maybe the players lost trust in Price after last season.
What the Capitals need to do to win: The Capitals don’t have to change much, except not fall early in the series.
Winning the first two games at home will be crucial for the Capitals. They need to play with a sense of urgency to make it a quick series when they head to Montreal for two games.
The Capitals can easily win this series in four games if play like they did before they clinched the President’s trophy.
Ovechkin needs to find his scoring touch again. He could have easily ran away with the Rocket Richard and Art Ross trophy, despite playing in 72 games. It seems he has been playing with training wheels since his last suspension. Ovechkin had six goals in his final 16 games.
Mike Green needs to be smart in his zone and contribute offensively. He needs to either rush the puck or make that first pass without turning the puck over.
Nicklas Backstorm needs to keep playing at the pace he showed all season. Alexander Semin needs to keep taking advantage of Ovechkin seeing the top shut down line.
Brooks Laich, Eric Fehr, and Thomas Fleishmann need to bring secondary scoring like they have during the season. Mike Knuble needs to be the player he’s been all season with the top line.
Theodore needs to make those timely saves. The team can rack up the goals, he just needs to make those one or two saves to keep the momentum on their side.
What the Canadiens need to do to win: The Habs need Jaroslav Halek to morph into Patrick Roy. Halek has been great all season and should have been named the starter a lot sooner.
Halek needs to keep the Capitals from scoring two to three goals a game. They absolutely need him to steal at least one game in Washington.
Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri both need to be on the same page offensively. The Habs don’t have too many finishers on their team.
Tomas Plekanec’s line will be seeing the top shut down pair or top line throughout the series, they need to find a way to out produce them.
Scott Gomez needs to turn back the clock and play like he had with the Devils. Markov and Bergeron need to start the offense, and Metroploit, and the Kostitsyn brothers need to contribute.
The Habs need to use their speed and puck skills to their advantage with the Capitals broad defense. If the Habs can draw penalties at will and keep themselves out of the box, they have a shot. The Habs are second to the Capitals for the NHL’s best power-play.
I don’t see this series lasting long. Capitals win in four, with at least one overtime win and one blowout.
New Jersey vs. Philadelphia
New Jersey saw their long time coach Jacques Lemaire, who helped transform the franchise from a Mickey Mouse Club to Stanley Cup contender, return behind their bench.
The Devils added another Atlantic Division title. Lou Lamoriello showed he had more depth in the system after another list of long time players left free agency, and Martin Brodeur had another Vezina worthy season. The team outlasted a series of early season injuries thanks to the depth mentioned above.
Oh yeah, they also traded for some guy name Ilya Kovalchuk—don’t know how that one will figure into the playoff run.
Kovalchuk took some time to adjust to the new team, system, and not being the only guy on his team who can score. It took some adjusting, but Kovalchuk has been exactly what the Devils wanted. That one guy who can finish and change a game.
The Devils have never had a player of Kovalchuk’s offensive stature. It does remain to be seen how he plays in the postseason, as he only has one goal in four games.
The Flyers have had a difficult season. Many figured them to be the favorites to win the Atlantic Division with the addition of Chris Pronger, the added experience of both Richards and Carter, and the young guys like Claude Giroux and James Van RymsDyke.
However, the Flyers have had terrible karma in net.
Every goaltender that’s played between the pipes, except for Brian Boucher has been hurt or is out for the rest of the season.
Ray Emery was suppose to be the “man”, but after a couple of injuries—the last being season ending with surgery—left the reigns to Michael Leighton, who helped right the ship for the Flyers before having his own season ending injury.
Brian Boucher came back as the “guy”. Boucher has never had success being the starter, especially in Philly. The Flyers hope there’s a hidden level in Boucher.
What the Devils need to do to win: The Devils need to be able to hold back the Flyers offense.
On Sunday, Philly had 47 shots and one goal. The Devils won’t have to worry much about scoring goals on Boucher. As long as they keep up the pressure and get their shots on net and capitalize on scoring chances, they’ll score their goals.
Brodeur needs to be the man he is in the regular season. It seems as though he’s gotten burned out in the postseason ever since the Cup win in 2003. The Devils play Brodeur way too much at his age in the regular season.
We all remember what happened last year against Carolina where they blew a two goal lead in the last minute, to lose in overtime. Brodeur needs to stay sharp and the defense in front of him has to clean out the garbage. Brodeur will stop the first shot, almost 95 percent of the time.
Kovalchuk needs to score and score often. Kovalchuk was brought in to help the Devils win the Cup for the first time since 2003—and with Brodeurs age, this year may be their last shot. Kovalchuk needs to be the guy who can score to break a tie or tie the game.
Zach Parise is one of the most consistent two-way forwards in the game and will most likely see a lot of either Mike Richards or Jeff Carter. As long as Parise’s line out-scores their lines, the Devil’s will wrap up the series quick.
The Devils have a no name defense and they don’t really have a player who can move the puck. They need to do is keep the shots low and give Marty all the support he needs.
What the Flyers need to do to win: Boucher needs to turn into a No. 1 goalie. Plain and simple. If the Flyers want to advance, Boucher must play well. He needs to keep the goals at two or three goals a game, maybe even post a shut out.
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter need to be as dynamic as their cross state rivals Sidney Crosby and Evegni Malkin. Carter needs to score those timely goals to get the momentum on the Flyers side. Richards needs to unite his team and elevate all of his teammates play.
Chris Pronger has done it, he knows what it takes to win. He’s a winner with a nasty edge to him. He needs to play exactly like he did with an overachieving Oiler team in 2006 and with the Ducks in 2007.
Pronger is a difference maker in the playoffs. Always has been and always will be. That’s why the Flyers traded so much for him. He needs to deliver.
The Flyers also need Scott Hartnell to stop taking stupid penalties and to score goals. Dan Carcillo will be taking plenty of them and probably get into a couple scraps here and there.
Giroux and Van Rymsdyke both need to perform and help contribute to the offense. This team will have to upset Marty somehow and get him off his game so they can get four or five goals to win a game.
I just don’t see the Flyers being unified nor their goaltending holding up. Devils win in five games, with game five being a blowout of 6-0.
Buffalo vs. Boston
Out of the four top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins got the best possible matchup. While Buffalo doesn’t exactly have the same problem scoring as the Bruins, they are, however, not known for their offense like they were the last time they made the post-season.
The Sabres season was a success for two reasons: Ryan Miller and a team with unity.
Derek Roy was the brightest offensive weapon with 69 points. Thomas Vanek lead the team with 28 goals and is a player more than capable of scoring an important goal in every game in the post season.
Ryan Miller was the story of the season, and just going on about what he accomplished this season is a skipping record, but he’ll mind as well.
Miller is one the most important players to his team in the entire league. He should definitely get some Hart consideration.
Miller is back in the postseason for the third time in five years. He’s never gone less than the Conference Finals in his career. Buffalo fans must be keeping that in the back of their mind in banking any hopes of getting that far on Miller.
He’s carried the team this far and it doesn’t seem as though he’s worn out yet.
The Bruins had one hell of a setback. They finished with 25 less points than last year.
The biggest reason, of course, is the lack of a finisher like Phil Kessel. Marc Savard didn’t have a great season—health-wise or production. He needed a player with speed and the instincts of finishing. Kessel was the dynamic player as we all know.
The loss of Savard for the majority of the season and the uncertainty of his return has to be looming over the Bruins. It’s doubtful Savard will even return if the Bruins were to make it past Buffalo.
Two bright sides to this season are the emergence of Tukka Raask, which gives the Bruins a valuable trade chip at the Draft with Tim Thomas and a possible lottery pick from Toronto. Also, either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin will be in a Bruins uniform next season.
What the Sabres needs to do to win: Buffalo has a very unified team. They get scoring from all their players. Roy, Pominville, Vanek, and Hecht all have over 20 goals. A healthy Tim Connelley will also help the Sabres advance. The Sabres have a very under-appreciated offense that plays disciplined two-way hockey.
Tyler Myers will be a Calder finalist and possibly the winner. The “mammoth” has 11 goals and 48 points in his rookie season. He’s a big reason why Buffalo’s defense has been as reliable as they have been.
Myers is a terrific cornerstone for the club and one player they shouldn’t trade or let get away come free agency in the next couple of years. His name will be among the finalists for the Norris trophy for years to come.
Having said that, Myers has to be the man on the blue-line in the postseason. He has to shutdown Boston’s top line. He has to play smart, physical and jump start the offense. Get low in the corners and not let the Bruins players skate away with the puck.
Miller, the last line of defense for the Sabres, has to be as sensational as he’s been all season. We’ve seen what he can do in the Olympic Games in a pressure packed environment. He has to reach down and resemble Dominik Hasek to advance, not just beyond the first-round in a breeze, but beyond.
What the Bruins need to do to win: The Bruins have to play smart, blue collar hockey. They cannot give the Sabres any easy scoring chances.
If they play like they did in their last matchup this past weekend, they’ll have a shot of upsetting the Sabres. They need to keep the scores low and get that timely goal and hold on to any lead they get.
Raask has to continue his strong play into the postseason, if not well, that may not be a problem as Tim Thomas is a great Plan B, possibly the best out of any of the 16 teams in the playoffs.
Boston needs it’s goaltending to be as great as it’s been this season. They won’t score many goals, so they need to keep the Bruins in every game and steal a few.
Patrice Bergeron has to be better. It’s simple as that.
If the Bruins want to make it past the first round, they need Bergeron to be better offensively and defensively.
We all remember the kind of defensive risk he was in the Olympic Games. Every Canadian was singing for him to be benched. He has to be physical and play with an edge. He has to be one of the leaders for the Bruins. He has to get things going.
The Bruins need a couple other players to be better as well. Namely, David Krejci, Blake Wheeler, and Michael Ryder. All three have underperformed based on the expectations that were set for them.
Ryder ended the season on a two goal game. Hopefully for Bruins fans, he’ll continue such production and the kind of production that swept the Habs last year.
Chara will probably play over 25 minutes a night.
Claude Julien is going to need Chara out on the ice against the Sabres top line, power-play, and penalty kill. Chara has to be “Superman” for this club. He has to resemble the Norris trophy winner from last year, which shouldn’t be a problem for the big man from Slovakia.
Wouldn’t it be great to see Chara and Myers throw down the gloves against each other?
Sabres are a much more balanced team with better goaltending.
Sabres take it in six games. With some crazy 2-1 games and possibly a double overtime game at 1-0.
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa
The defending Cup champs aren’t as good as they were last year. They did not finish the stretch like they usually do. Marc-Andre Fleury usually turns his A game on around February and we have not yet seen that.
High note: Sidney Crosby added an Olympic gold medal to his resume, along with the Maurice Rocket Richard trophy, tying Steven Stamkos with 51 goals. He’ll be looking to add another Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe to his collection of awards this spring.
Malkin has had a significant drop of production and has battled injuries all season.
Can the hulking Russian find his game of last year’s performance?
Jordan Staal just gets better and better. He’s a threat in the offensive zone and can shutdown any teams’ top line.
The Senators have had an interesting season.
They have a weird hold over the Northeast Division champs, the Buffalo Sabres. They went on a 12-game win streak and 19-game home streak.
Daniel Alfredson, as always, has been the man in Ottawa and the team has improved in unity without Dany Heatley. I’m sure they miss his offense contributions, but not the distractions.
The development of Erik Karlson has to be a bright spot to the Senators season. His play down the stretch looks like he’s capable of being their No. 1 defensive man.
Pascal Leclaire failed to take over the No. 1 starting job and I’m sure Ottawa is missing the play of Antoine Vermette, who has been solid in Columbus this season.
However, Brian Elliot looks to be the man in the crease for now and should be a test to see how he does in the playoffs. If he does his share, Ottawa may look to shop Pascal Leclaire at the draft.
What the Penguins need to do to win: It’s no doubt that Sidney Crosby will be the best player on the ice every night, and will provide a bulk of the scoring in this series for the Penguins.
The Captain is a man on a mission: To return to the finals and win the Cup, becoming the first team since the Red Wings to repeat. Crosby has improved on his shooting, scoring, and face-offs, making him that much more dangerous.
Evgeni Malkin has to be the player he was last year in the playoffs. This team isn’t deep enough for him and Crosby both not contributing in the same game.
Malkin is a strong center with a big body. He needs to use that strength, even if that makes his injuries worse. He needs to sacrifice because he’ll have a better summer recuperating with another Cup ring.
Jordan Staal will match-up against Spezza and Alfredson when Crosby isn’t. Most likely, Ottawa will try to match Fisher with Crosby.
Staal needs to do what he does best and that’s shutdown the other teams’ offense, kill penalties and get that clutch goal.
Penguins need others to step up in their offense like they did last season.
Players like Kennedy, Cooke, Talbot, Ponikravosky, Guerin, and Fedotenko need to play at their best. Their defense needs to tighten up as well. Ottawa will try to keep the score down, the Penguins can’t give them anything easy.
Marc-Andre Fleury needs to play like the guy who carried his team to back-to-back final appearances.
His strong play in high-pressured situations against Washington and Detroit is how he won them a Cup. So far this season, he hasn’t shown us that level of play this season.
What the Senators need to do to win: Simple. Stop Sidney Crosby. Well that’s easier said than done. Crosby is determined to win, despite a disappointing Olympic Games (besides the game winning goal), Crosby has always answered in high-pressured situations.
Ottawa needs to get rough on him, but clean. They can’t let the Penguins get on the man advantage. Their power-play wasn’t good this season, but it can surely put the Senators away.
Elliot needs to keep the score down. Ottawa hasn’t been able to score many goals this year. Out of the 16 teams that made the post-season, they rank 13th in offense.
Defense needs to be tight. They need to keep the Penguins to the outside and out-work them in the corners. They have to be tough and physical.
Murray tried to build his team to resemble Brian Burke’s 2007 Stanley Cup team that ousted him five games. We’ll see if he found that balance.
Without Alexei Kovalev, more pressure will be on Alfredsson and Spezza. Others like Michalek, Foligno, Fisher, and Kelly will need to find ways to score and contribute, in all aspects.
The Penguins are too experienced and powerful for the Senators, but it will be an exciting series. However, the series will have Ottawa losing a disappointing game five in the dying minutes with a chance to force a game six.
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The Edge will break down the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins to see which team has the advantage at each position.
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo’s defense comes into the postseason underrated. With no big names, it is easy to overlook the Sabres’ blueline.
Although many of them may be journeymen, this is a solid group that plays well together. Calder Trophy favorite Tyler Myers leads Buffalo in almost every defensive category. Through 82 games, the “Big Easy” has lit the lamp 11 times, dished out 37 helpers, is a +13, and averages the most minutes out of any Sabre (24:44 T.O.I.).
Henrik Tallinder, paired with Myers for most of the season, is a solid penalty killer and a fan favorite. The Swede has played in all 82 games and owns a feel-good +13.
Buffalo will look for these two to lead the charge in the postseason. Myers, a monstrous 6’8”, 220 pounds, is a physical force that wins puck battles.
Inconsistency plagues Toni Lydman and Craig Rivet, both veteran blueliners. Rivet has just 15 points through 78 games and Lydman is prone to take bad penalties. Rivet, the captain, must step up his game if Buffalo wants to make a deep push.
Offseason acquisition Steve Montador has been a mystery all season. Some games, the Will Ferrell look-a-like rushes the offensive zone, utilizes his cannon shot from the point, and scraps like a bruiser. Others, he fails to show up and play. Buffalo needs the gritty Montador to dress come Game 1 against Boston.
Boston Bruins
Headlining the Bruins’ blueline is reigning Norris Trophy winner, Zdeno Chara. The 6’9”, 250 pound Slovak combines brutal physicality with a 100+ mph slapshot—it is safe to say he’ll be a force like he has all year.
However, Boston’s defense is in trouble. With four regulars injured, it will be left to Chara and journeymen like Johnny Boychuk to lead the way for the Bruins.
Dennis Wideman, a former Buffalo draft pick, scored against the Sabres on April 8th when the two teams met. He has 30 points on the season, but a brutal -14 means Buffalo needs to attack full force when he is on the ice.
On paper, Boston’s defense is one of the best in the League. They gave up a mere 191 goals this year, second only to the New Jersey Devils. When leading after two periods, Boston has gone 22-4, so the defense knows how to lock it down in the third period.
Boston’s defense is stellar. Chara’s size could create matchup problems—it has all season when these two teams meet.
Buffalo’s defense is comprised of journeymen and young gunners with no superstars. (Toni who?)
In the end, Boston’s defensive injuries will ultimately be it’s downfall. The Sabres have too much depth and are more consistent.
THE EDGE: BUFFALO
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For the Caps/Habs preview, click here.
For the Devils/Flyers preview, click here.
For the Pens/Sens preview, click here.
No. 3 Buffalo Sabres vs. No. 6 Boston Bruins
Storyline: Riding Ryan Miller in, the Sabres look poised as the top dog in the Northeast, and unless the low-scoring Bruins can prove otherwise, Buffalo could keep up their sleeper presence.
Offense: In the past five years, the Buffalo Sabres were notorious for scoring goals and peppering goaltenders with a barrage of offense that was sometimes an insurmountable climb.
Head Coach Lindy Ruff changed that formula early on for the Sabres, who were a much quieter offensive team despite great success in the long run. Buffalo experienced intermittent power failures from previous aces like Thomas Vanek while other players, like Tim Connolly and Jochen Hecht, thrived in the new dynamic.
Derek Roy was instrumental as a quiet leader in points and game winners. If Connolly and Vanek (among others) can stay healthy just long enough, the Sabres offense can be as potent as it ever was.
Boston, meanwhile, thrashed about wildly as the Eastern Conference’s lowest scoring team. Losing both Phil Kessel (via trade) and Marc Savard (via several injured reserve vacations) contributed to the overall woes of a team that was on top of the East just one year previous. When talking about Bruins scorers, one must first mention Marco Sturm’s team-leading 22 goals as something of a highlight amidst several dimmer bulbs.
Patrice Bergeron still hasn’t returned to form but is certainly on the right track, and lately, Michael Ryder has come on strong with something to prove. Still, this team finds it difficult to eclipse the two-goal mark on most nights in any arena. Advantage: Buffalo.
Defense: Few pundits can disagree with Tyler Myers’ Calder Trophy chances for the Buffalo Sabres. The monstrous Myers has single-handedly reversed the fortunes of a Buffalo defense short on motivation and ability.
Myers, however, can’t do it all by himself, which is why journeyman like Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman seem ever ready to step it up for the Buffalo corps. Though it isn’t star-studded, the Sabres’ defense gets the job done and only looks flawed when it is forced to scramble.
The Boston defense, on paper, is one of the best amongst the 16 teams entering the playoffs. However, half of that starting six is currently sidelined for one injury or another, putting the pressure on an even more monstrous Zdeno Chara and a pack of young, mostly inexperienced d-men like Johnny Boychuk to keep the pressure off the net minders.
If Boston has any chance in this series, it’ll come from returns on the blueline like deadline day acquisition Dennis Seidenberg. Assuming two-thirds of Boston’s injured trio can make it back in time, they might just avert disaster. Advantage: Push.
Goaltending: Even fair-weather hockey fans know the name Ryan Miller after the 2010 Winter Olympics. Fact of the matter is, Miller was playing this invincibly the entire season and is a shoe-in for the Vezina Trophy.
His numbers are statistically the best all-around he’s ever produced, and in big game situations he has recently shown a knack to excel. The last time Miller won 40 games in the regular season, the Sabres punched a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaking of Vezina trophies, it would appear as if the ship has sailed on last year’s winner, Tim Thomas in the Boston fold. After inking a long-term deal with a no-trade clause, Thomas fumbled the starting duties into the hands of Boston prospect Tuukka Rask, who showed flashes of brilliance in limited work over the past two seasons.
Though starting duties were split nearly evenly the entire year, Rask is expected to carry the load into the playoffs, having posted a league-best 1.97 goals against average with 22 wins to Thomas’ 16. Of course, Rask will also be getting his first taste of playoff hockey, a stigma few goalies have the ability to break free of in their first campaign. Advantage: Buffalo.
Key Players: A Clash of the Titans? Zdeno Chara finished with 1goal and 6 assists in 6 games against the Sabres this season. Tyler Myers had 2 goals and 3 assists over the same period.
History: This will be the sixth playoff meeting between these division rivals, with the Bruins currently holding a 3-2 series lead. Boston also won the season series 4-2.
Outcome: What will likely be the least-covered Eastern series due to its lack of star power could turn out to be the most entertaining and back and forth. Sabres in 7.
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With the Northeast Division crown wrapped up, the Buffalo Sabres are preparing for their march to the Stanley Cup. This playoff year may well determine the direction that the Sabres will go in the future. Management has been exceptionally patient with this core group of players since Black Sunday (when 2 certain co-captains were insult.. erm, allowed to leave). How badly do the Sabres want that 35 pounds of Silver? That will be determined by 5 players.
Playing on home ice is important to most teams heading into the playoffs. I say “most teams” because there are those rare teams that play better away from home, like the St. Louis Blues—who will be golfing this time next week.
The sign of a good team is one that can play well home or away, like the Washington Capitals, who have the best home and away records in the NHL.
But there are plenty of other teams that will rely on home ice to win most of their games in the postseason.
If the Ottawa Senators have any chance of upsetting their first-round opponent, they will have to be flawless at home.
While the Sens are 4-1-1 in their last six games away from Scotiabank Place, their 18-21-2 away record is among the worst of all playoff teams.
The Vancouver Canucks are another team that will benefit from their play at home. Lucky for the Canucks, they will have home-ice advantage through at least the first round of the playoffs.
Vancouver’s 19-20-2 record on the road isn’t too bad, considering its NHL-record, 14-game road trip in the middle of the season. But the Canucks are 7-9-3 away from home against teams that have clinched a playoff spot already.
The Colorado Avalanche have struggled in general lately, but their play away from the Pepsi Center has been even worse. They are 4-7-2 in their last 11 away games.
The Avalanche’s 19-16-6 away record isn’t terrible, but it will not hold up against either the Chicago Blackhawks or the San Jose Sharks in the first round.
San Jose and Chicago have lost just 14 games at home in regulation this season…combined.
Assuming the Philadelphia Flyers manage to hold onto their playoff spot by beating the New York Rangers on Sunday, they will have to rely on their incredibly irritating fans at the Wachovia Center to get them through the first round.
The Flyers are an awful 17-21-3 on the road and have just two wins in their last 11 away games.
Buffalo Sabres’ head coach Lindy Ruff loves to match up lines, and it shows with Buffalo’s 25-10-6 record at home. But the Sabres are a different team on the road—especially as of late.
In the Sabres’ last 18 games away from HSBC Arena they have gone just 5-10-3.
If any of these teams plan on winning the Stanley Cup this season, they better be near perfect at home—or learn how to play better on the road, quick.
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Not only did the Sabres hurt the Rangers the other day by beating them 5-2 , but they also hurt them last night when they beat the Boston Bruins 3-1. That’s because the Bruins were just one point ahead of the Rangers in the standings, but now they’re three.
To make things worse consider this: Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, started the other night and played brilliantly, as he held the Rangers to just two goals.
Then last night the Sabres started their backup goalie Patrick Lalime, making it much easier for the Bruins to beat them. Thanks Buffalo.
Luckily for the Rangers, the Montreal Canadiens lost and they have just one game left to play.
Here are the latest standings:
No. Six: Boston—87 points—37 wins—two games remaining
No Seven: Montreal—87 points—39 wins—one game remaining
No. Eight: Philadelphia—86 points—40 wins—two games remaining
No Nine: Rangers—84 points—37 wins—two games remaining
No 10. Atlanta—81 points—34 wins—two games remaining
So, how can the Rangers make the playoffs? Here are the scenarios:
- Rangers beat the Flyers twice in regulation. 88 points – Rangers, 86 – Philly.
- Rangers beat the Flyers twice, once in regulation. 88 points – Rangers, 87 points – Philly.
- Rangers beat the Flyers twice, but go to OT in both. Montreal loses final game in regulation. 88 points – Rangers, 88 points – Flyers, 87 points – Canadiens.
- Rangers beat the Flyers twice, but go to OT in both. Boston loses final two games in regulation. 88 points – Rangers, 88 points – Flyers, 87 points – Boston.
- Rangers win twice in OT. Bruins lose both of their games, but one reaches OT. Rangers and Bruins both finish with 88 points, but Rangers make the playoffs because they have an advantage 39 wins> 37 wins.
- Rangers win only once, but make it to OT in another game and Montreal loses their final game in regulation.
If the Rangers lose once in regulation they are out. If they win both in regulation they are in. That’s the bottom line. Their destiny is in their hands. The other teams can help them out, but they can win this and lose this entirely on their own.
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Less than a week before the NHL playoffs begin and the Buffalo Sabres finally have gotten hit by the injury bug.
Thomas Vanek is set to return from a lower body injury on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, but that still leaves a number of the Sabres’ key players out of the lineup.
Jochen Hecht (upper body), Tim Connolly (foot), and Patrick Kaleta (hand) have all been ruled out for the rest of the regular season.
“There’s always concern when key personnel go out of your lineup and you’re making adjustments,” head coach Lindy Ruff told the Buffalo News on Thursday. “It’s a tough time of year. At the same time, you hope it’s short term and you hope you can get through them.”
While the team, along with the fans, hopes that the injuries are short term, either way they will present an interesting conundrum for Buffalo before the playoffs.
If the three forwards return for the first round, then which players do the Sabres send down?
The first two obvious choices are Mark Mancari and Nathan Gerbe. They have been solid, but their lack of experience won’t be helpful in the playoffs.
But the third player to be sent down isn’t as easy a choice.
Rookie Tyler Ennis has joined Mancari and Gerbe as the third Portland Pirate to be called up in recent weeks; but unlike the other two, Ennis has consistently produced in his time with the big club, with seven points in seven games.
But if Ennis were to stay, then another player would have to go.
Matt Ellis is the first name that comes to mind, especially if Kaleta comes back to the lineup, but there are a couple of other players also at risk of being sent down.
And then there’s the other possibility that not all three key players are ready by the start of the first round—or even worse, none of them.
If the three injured players are ruled out, Ruff will have to pull some magic tricks out of his sleeve and find a way to incorporate Mancari, Gerbe and Ennis into the lineup in a way that won’t throw off the team’s chemistry.
The next week should be very interesting for the Sabres, to say the least.
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When the Buffalo Sabres last won the Northeast Division title, they were Presidents’ Trophy winners and favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Things didn’t turn out so well in the 2006-07 season.
However, things look different as the postseason approaches. The Sabres look hungrier, grittier, and much more determined.
Yes, the team is still very young and has a lot of growing to do before it can be considered a perennial Cup favorite. Some critics say they don’t have enough scoring depth. Some say the team is too small physically and will never make it out of the first round.
What this Buffalo team does have, however, is playoff experience.
Of that 2006-07 team, 13 Sabres are still playing in Buffalo. The core group has stayed together—Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy—and that experience is crucial come playoffs.
After the lockout, Buffalo was a ragtag group of young gunners who exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations.
After weathering those storms, this team will be better acclimated to the pressures of playoff hockey. Leadership and experience are two virtues you see in every Stanley Cup winner.
Buffalo has both.
If Buffalo wants to hoist the Cup come June, past pressures must be dealt with and shrugged off. Nervous play in the postseason will get a team bumped early, so the Sabres need to stay calm and play their game.
Miller will be called upon to lead the troops. His stellar play in net, both for Buffalo and Team USA, must continue.
Another postseason leader is Mike Grier. Traded after the 2005-06 season, Grier was one of the best Buffalo forwards. He raises his game—sliding in front of every shot, playing solid defensively, and winning puck battles.
Others, like Roy and Pominville, need to continue their solid offensive play into the postseason. Both have been on the team since the lockout, and it was Pominville who scored the series-clinching OT goal in Ottawa.
For Buffalo to make a deep push this postseason, those that have been there before must use that experience to their advantage.
The core group has been to the Eastern Conference Finals. They know what to do and how to get there.
This postseason, they must push a little harder.
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