BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres open their first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Boston Bruins on Sunday night, with Game 1 scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and Buffalo holding home ice.
Lindy Ruff said before puck drop that the Sabres’ task was clear: slow down David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie, while expecting Boston to try to do the same to Tage Thompson and Tuch. He said he was hoping Buffalo would be amped up for a Sabres game that carries the kind of energy the playoffs demand.
Buffalo enters the series favored to advance, but that edge means little once the puck goes down in Game 1. The first round often turns on who handles the opening night pressure better, and Ruff said he was looking forward to seeing how his group reacts after talking about the energy they need to bring and the way they need to play.
That makes Sunday night more than a starting point. It is the first test of whether Buffalo can turn home ice and the pre-series expectation into an early statement against a Bruins club that brings dangerous scoring threats of its own.
NESN identified the reporting behind the setup for the matchup.
