On Thursday night, we welcome home our Northeast Division champions as they take on the Boston Bruins in game one of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs quarterfinal series between the 3rd and 6th seeds. Hell's bells chime at 7PM EST in HSBC Arena at One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza. The game will be broadcast on MSG in the United States and CBC in Canada.
The 2010 regular season series between the two teams ended with Boston holding a 4-2 record over Buffalo, but with the exception of two high-scoring games, the matches were low-scoring, physical affairs. Both the Bruins' Tuukka Rask and the Sabres' Ryan Miller (with the exception of one game by Jhonas Enroth) played well.
In the playoffs, a team's record and stats are wiped clean, but there are indicators from the regular season a fan must take a look at. Tuukka Rask was solid in net, but never had to make a tough save as his defense was impeccable at clearing out the crease.
The keys to this game, and the series at large, are:
1. Crash the net and crease with regularity. Put heavy pressure on Rask to test his mettle and throw him off.
2. Limit odd-man rushes. Ryan Miller may be Jesus, but the Sabres can't let him get crucified.
3. Establish a physical precedent early and often. The Bruins can be mean and must be put on their heels early.
4. Move the puck quickly and crisply. The Bruins defense isn't the most mobile and can be caught flat-footed.
5. Spring the attack. The Sabres can play run and gun pretty well, so they need to make the long outlet pass.
in an arena that's been quieter than the home barn of a divisional champion ought to be, the Sabres faithful need to get to sabre dancing and, at the end of the series, cheer on the Blue and Gold as they send the Bruins shipping up to Boston. For good.
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again.
