The Boston Bruins will play the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bruins (45-27-10) clinched the primary wild card in the East with a 4-0 win towards the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and will open the first-round collection in Buffalo (50-23-8), which gained the Atlantic Division.
The Sabres are in the postseason for the primary time for the reason that 2010-11 season, ending a drought that had been the longest in NHL historical past. They haven’t gained a playoff collection for the reason that 2006-07 season, once they went to the Eastern Conference Final and misplaced in 5 video games to the Ottawa Senators.
The Bruins are in the postseason for the ninth time in the previous 11 seasons after lacking final season. They haven’t made it previous the second spherical since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, once they misplaced to the St. Louis Blues in seven video games.
“It’s going to be great,” Boston coach Marco Sturm stated. “People like to watch the Bruins. People like to watch Buffalo. … It’s great for the League. It’s great for us. It’s great for Buffalo to have that matchup right away. It’s been a while for them. We’re hungry enough to beat them. We’re ready, so it should be a good one.”
The Bruins have been led by ahead David Pastrnak, who had 100 factors (29 targets, 71 assists), and Morgan Geekie, who led them with 39 targets.
In purpose, Jeremy Swayman carried the load, going 31-18-4 with a .908 save proportion, 2.71 goals-against common and two shutouts in 55 video games (54 begins). Joonas Korpisalo, Swayman’s backup, was 14-9-6 with an .894 save proportion, 3.15 GAA and one shutout in 31 video games (28 begins).
Leading the Sabres is ahead Tage Thompson, who had 81 factors in 81 video games, together with a team-leading 41 targets. It’s the third time in the previous 4 seasons he’s scored not less than 40 targets. Captain Rasmus Dahlin is second in scoring for Buffalo, the defenseman with 74 factors in 77 video games, together with a team-leading 55 assists.
In purpose, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon have shared the workload, with Luukkonen going 22-9-3 with a .910 save proportion, 2.52 GAA and one shutout in 35 video games (34 begins), and Lyon going 20-10-4 with a .907 save proportion, 2.77 GAA and three shutouts in 36 video games (34 begins).
“A very deserving opponent,” Swayman stated. “They had a lot of success this year, and we’re really excited to get up there. … They have a lot of skill. They get a lot of chances off the rush and they have some powerful forwards and skilled defensemen. We need to isolate, and our coaching staff will do a great job of pre-scouting that, and then it’s our team to make the details and effort work.”
In 4 video games this season, the Bruins went 3-1-0 towards the Sabres, who have been 1-1-2. Boston outscored Buffalo 12-11.
Pastrnak led the Bruins with six factors (three targets, three assists) in the 4 video games, whereas Pavel Zacha had 4 factors (two targets, two assists).
Korpisalo performed three of the video games, going 2-1-0 with a .908 save proportion and three.01 GAA. Swayman performed the opposite recreation, permitting one purpose on 22 photographs.
“Heck of a team, obviously,” Pastrnak stated. “They’ve been proving it the whole year. They kept climbing and climbing the standings, and not just with the wins, but playing better and better as a hockey team. It’s a big challenge and we’re obviously excited. It’s going to be a fun battle. I’m really excited. It’s the best time of the year.”
Thompson had 5 factors (all assists) in the 4 video games towards Boston, whereas defenseman Mattias Samuelsson had 4 factors (one purpose, three assists). Forward Jason Zucker led Buffalo with three targets.
Luukkonen was 1-0-1 with a .907 save proportion and a pair of.49 GAA in two video games, whereas Lyon was 0-1-1 with an .885 save proportion and three.02 GAA.
This is the ninth time the Bruins and Sabres will meet in the playoffs, with Boston profitable all however two collection, together with two in seven video games.
Three instances, they confronted one another in back-to-back seasons.
The Bruins gained the Adams Division Semifinals in 4 video games in 1981-82, then defeated Buffalo in the Adams Division Finals the subsequent season in seven video games in 1982-83.
They performed once more in 1987-88, Boston profitable the division semifinals in six video games over Buffalo, after which topping Buffalo in the identical spherical the next season in 1988-89 in 5 video games.
The Bruins once more beat Buffalo in the division semifinals in 1991-92, profitable in seven video games, however Buffalo got here again in 1992-93 to brush the Bruins in the identical spherical.
The Sabres defeated Boston a second time in the 1998-99 season, profitable the Eastern Conference Semifinals in six video games en path to a six-game loss to the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Final.
Their most up-to-date playoff collection got here in 2009-10, the Bruins profitable the convention quarterfinals in six video games.
