The Buffalo Sabres hit the ice on Wednesday night in a crucial matchup. The game against the Boston Bruins at the KeyBank Center was likely a preview of a potential first-round matchup between the two clubs.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, a Pavel Zacha goal in overtime dashed the Sabres’ hopes of skating away with the victory. While the club got a point out of the 4-3 overtime loss, losing the game stings.
And it also raises some concerns about Buffalo’s playoff performance. Mainly, fans may be wondering about how the Sabres might hold up in their first playoff appearance since 2011.
The game-winner by Zacha, while 3-on-3, was by all accounts a soft goal. David Pastrnak wielded his magic on the ice, feeding a wide-open Zacha, who buried the shot five-hole on Buffalo netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Pastrnak had three points on the night. His goal and two assists are something the Sabres have to be thinking about. After all, if they can’t stop Pastrnak, he could take over the series and back Buffalo into a corner.
His goal to open the scoring in the first was a good example of that. The Sabres left Pastrnak alone in front of the net, giving him just enough time to rip a pass from behind the net past Luukkonen. Jack Quinn, a forward, was unable to get around to covering him in time. That delay created the space, and Pastrnak did not waver.
That’s what the Sabres are up against. But there might be a way out for Buffalo.
If Sabres Stop Pastrnak, They Have a Chance
The game plan in a potential first-round series will be to stop Pastrnak. The Bruins’ top line of Pastrnak, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov has looked increasingly confident on the ice. That means the Sabres will need to focus on stopping that line in order to give themselves a chance to win.
That’s why the plan will be to force the Bruins’ depth to score. That’s where players like Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and a resurgent Viktor Arvidsson will need to step up.
Beyond that, the Bruins may find it tough to muster up enough depth scoring to get past the Sabres. Again, that’s only if Buffalo can keep Pastrnak under wraps. Otherwise, letting Pastrnak run amok may result in an early exit from the postseason for Buffalo.
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Would Early Postseason Exit Be Failure for Buffalo?
A first-round exit would be, to a certain extent, a failure for Buffalo. Their incredible resurgence this season has built plenty of expectation surrounding the club. They’ve played at a Presidents’ Trophy clip since turning things around in December.
While it might be unfair to place too much pressure on the Sabres after a 15-year playoff drought, their play has warranted plenty of hype.
That’s why Wednesday night’s loss to the Bruins raises some concerns. The mental impact of playing big games is something that will come under fire for Buffalo.
All told, the Sabres must maintain focus and run out the regular season strong. A first-round victory over whoever they play will make this season one of the most successful ones in team history. Such an outcome would help shed the bad light Buffalo has gotten in about two decades.
Sabres May Have Cause for Concern after Playoff Preview Defeat