Buffalo Ends 15-Year Playoff Drought, But Boston's Already Won 11 Rounds Since Sabres Last Showed Up

The Buffalo Sabres are finally back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since April 26, 2011, and they're walking straight into a Boston team that hasn't stopped winning in the postseason. The Bruins have claimed 11 playoff rounds in the years Buffalo's been watching from the couch, and coach Marco Sturm is making sure everyone knows it.

"We know how we have to play, we're going to be ready to go," Sturm said Friday before Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday night in Buffalo. "We're excited. We are bigger, stronger, we are more physical. We just have to be smart, but we're going to go after them."

The Sabres heard every word. Forward Josh Doan acknowledged the talk on Saturday but brushed it off with the cool of a team that just ended the NHL's longest active playoff drought at 14 years. "At the end of the day, I think our group trusts what we're doing here and we'll just let that play out throughout the series," Doan said. "We're going to stick to our game plan. So, it's one of those things that you see, but at the end of the day there's no real response from us in this room."

Experience vs. Fresh Blood

Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff stayed measured when asked about Sturm's swagger. "That's his take on his team," Ruff said. "I have a lot of respect for what our team has done and how we play and the speed we play the game. They've got a good team. I mean, they know who they are and we know who we are."

Boston won three of four matchups this season against Buffalo, including a 4-3 overtime win on March 25 that helped the Bruins. They finished fourth in the Atlantic Division, six points behind Montreal, which dropped them into the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot. The Bruins are thrilled to be back after missing the postseason last year for the first time in nine years.

"I think if you don't enjoy the Stanley Cup playoffs, you're in the wrong sport or wrong place," Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. "That's playoff hockey. That's pressure, that's atmosphere, intensity, physicality, blood, sweat, you name it."

Pastrnak Carries Boston's Scoring Load

David Pastrnak is the Bruins' engine, finishing the regular season with exactly 100 points (29 goals, 71 assists) for the fourth straight year. After that, though, Boston's scoring drops off sharply. Morgan Geekie is next with 68 points (39 goals, 29 assists).

Buffalo doesn't have a 100-point scorer, but they've got Tage Thompson, one of the league's elite centers. He put up 40 goals and 41 assists this year after scoring 44 last season. The Sabres also feature Rasmus Dahlin, one of the league's top offensive defensemen, who finished second on Buffalo with 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) and ranked sixth among all NHL defensemen.

Buffalo won the Atlantic Division by three points over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sunday night, the real test begins.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.