The Boston Bruins have life.
After winning in Buffalo for the second time in three tries in their Eastern Conference first-round series, the Bruins look to bottle up their solid road play as the scene shifts back to Boston for the final time.
At the same time, Game 6 on Friday marks a second opportunity for the Sabres — who cruised to back-to-back wins in Boston, including a decisive 6-1 contest last Sunday — to close out the best-of-seven series and advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007.
“It was an embarrassing effort in Game 4. That’s not what our fans paid money for, to come and see us play that way,” Boston defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. “We’re glad we got that win (Tuesday) and have a chance to redeem ourselves.”
The Bruins extended the series with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 5, as Hampus Lindholm’s long feed sent David Pastrnak in on a breakaway for the game-ending goal.
It was only Pastrnak’s second goal of the series, but it could not have come at a more crucial time. With the tally, he became the first-ever Bruin to score multiple overtime goals while the team faced elimination.
“There’s only a few players I think who can do that. What I mean by that is not just the finish, but the way he doesn’t go offside,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “… I’m just very happy because (Pastrnak) puts a lot of pressure on himself and he wants to be the difference. And (Tuesday) he was.”
Similarly, goaltender Jeremy Swayman’s sharpest performance of the series (25 saves on 26 shots) helped set the stage for Pastrnak’s heroics.
Prior to Game 5, Buffalo’s veteran players like former Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Bowen Byram discussed the difficulty of banking a fourth win to close out a playoff series.
With 11 playoff newcomers dotting the Sabres roster, the team’s lack of experience in such big-game situations could have had an impact on the latest result.
“I just sensed a little bit of nerves with our guys,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Our puck play wasn’t as good as in Boston, so just get them to relax, play our game and be ready to go.”
Strangely, having another chance on road ice could be just what Ruff’s team needs, as it won the first two games in Boston by a combined 9-2 score.
Playing a simple game on the road is a coach’s cliche, but the Sabres have done just that so far in Boston. Their 24-13-4 record away from home was among the best in the NHL.
“It’s part of the playoffs,” Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon said. “It’s one of the hardest things in the world, so we have to embrace that and we have to be on a mission when we go into Boston.”
On the injury front, Boston’s Viktor Arvidsson (upper body) and Buffalo’s Noah Ostlund (lower body) are expected to be out of their teams’ respective lineups for at least Game 6. Defenseman Logan Stanley could also be missing for Buffalo after an illness kept him out of Thursday’s practice.
However, the Sabres should have Josh Norris back after the centerman missed the past three games with a minor injury. He is likely to skate between Zach Benson and Josh Doan.
“For a period of time, that line was really good for us,” Ruff said. “It’s an opportunity where a guy like Norrie can just step up, and he could be a big difference maker for us.”
