Sabres Await Their Next Opponent

The Buffalo Sabres have punched their ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now they await either the Montreal Canadiens or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Buffalo closed out its first round series against the Boston Bruins with a 4-1 Game Six victory at TD Garden on Friday night.

The Eastern Conference Semifinal series will be an even tougher challenge. But while the Sabres are waiting, they have earned a small respite.

Nineteen years in the making for the Sabres

The round one win was the first postseason series victory for the Sabres since 2007. Buffalo were perfect on the road in the series, capturing all three matchups in Boston. The Sabres continue to add chapters to this season’s storybook last place to first place season run which began in December.

The Sabres held a 3-1 series lead and had a chance to close out the series on home ice in Game Five.

However, the Bruins did not go quietly. Boston’s best players, forward David Pastrnak and goaltender Jeremy Swayman rose to the occasion with a gritty 2-1 come from behind overtime win in Buffalo to push the Atlantic Division clash to a sixth game. Despite the setback in the fifth game Buffalo remained focused on delivering the knockout blow on TD Garden ice.

Lyon backstopped Buffalo to the finish

The Sabres were the better team in the end. Depth, team speed and another stellar performance from netminder Alex Lyon propelled them to the finish line in the hard fought series.

“I thought we were really close to finishing the series at home, “ said winger Alex Tuch. “And would have loved to do that, but we wanted to come out and just attack. Have that mindset of just playing our game, playing fast. Getting pucks and bodies to the net. Just trying to win any way we can. “

Going into the postseason, the club had already ended the longest playoff drought in NHL history, halting the streak of futility at fourteen years.

In winning the first round contest, the Sabres also ended a nineteen year stretch without a playoff series victory.

While the players are embracing the significance of this accomplishment, it’s clear that the focus remains on what is ahead.

“Unbelievable,” said Tuch of the feeling after the first round clincher.

“Really special. Feels like it’s been a long time coming. I know Dahls (Captain Rasmus Dahlin) has been here a little bit longer than me, but for me it’s been five long years waiting for something special to happen and we’re hoping it’s just the start. “

The Sabres will open their round two series on home ice next week facing the winner of the Tampa Bay/Montreal series.