The Buffalo Sabres are back in the playoffs after 14 seasons and are going to kick off their return at KeyBank Center on Sunday. They were able to earn home-ice advantage after winning the Atlantic Division and are set to play the Boston Bruins.
Even with winning the division, the Sabres are entering this series with plenty to prove after such an extended absence in the playoffs. They are going to be playing a Bruins team that is no stranger to the playoffs, as they are playing in their ninth playoff over the past 10 seasons.
When looking ahead to this series, these are the five biggest questions for the Buffalo Sabres against the Boston Bruins.
How do Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson respond in their first playoffs?
For the first time in their careers, Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson are set to play in their first career playoff game. It has been a long time coming for these two players, who have suffered through more than half of the playoff drought, and this trip is more than well-deserved.
The biggest question, though, is how these two might respond in the playoffs as the Sabres are going to need them to deliver if they hope to advance. Dahlin was playing as well as any defenseman in the entire NHL down the stretch and finished with a career-high in points with 74.
Meanwhile, Tage Thompson recorded his third 40-goal season in the past four seasons and is going to be the main driver for this offense.
While neither player has appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, both are no strangers to high-pressure games. Both went to the Olympics this past season to represent their countries, with Thompson coming back with a gold medal.
There is no reason to think either can't play at the level they did during the regular season, but it is certainly worth watching in the early part of this series.
Can the Sabres capitalize on home-ice advantage?
The Buffalo Sabres fought hard to win the Atlantic Division with 109 points and finished only three points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. One of the reasons winning the division is so important is that those teams get home-ice advantage through at least the first two rounds if they advance.
For the Sabres, this is something they can't squander as they not only get the extra home game if it goes seven games, but it also means they start the series with back-to-back games at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres have been pretty good at home this season with a 26-10-5 record, and the good news for Buffalo is that the Bruins have struggled on the road with a 16-16-9 record. The challenge is that the Bruins have been excellent in Boston with a 29-11-1 record. If the Sabres split the first two games of this season, they could return to Buffalo for Game 5, facing elimination.
These first two games are crucial and requires the Sabres to get off to a fast start.
Where does Noah Ostlund fit in this lineup?
On Thursday, Lindy Ruff provided an update on some of the injured players and noted that Sam Carrick would not be available for this series, but Noah Ostlund looks to be on track. However, the Sabres' head coach didn't commit to him being ready for Game 1.
Once Ostlund is ready to return, the Sabres are going to have a tough task in figuring out where he fits best in the lineup. Prior to his injury, Ostlund was playing on a line with Josh Norris and Josh Doan, and he could slide back into that spot.
However, that line has been playing so well with Benson in Ostlund's place that it is hard to imagine that the Sabres want to split that group up.
If that line is not an option, the Sabres could have him be the center on the fourth line in place of Carrick. The challenge is that Ostlund hasn't been great in the faceoff circle, with a win percentage of only 31%.
The Sabres could put Ostlund on the first line and move Peyton Krebs to center the fourth line, but once again, Krebs has been great on that top line. It seems unlikely they would want to mess with the chemistry on the top line.
Once Ostlund is ready, the Sabres are going to get him on the ice, but there is no clear-cut answer to where he fits currently in the lineup.
Who is the Sabres' third defensive pair?
The other big lineup decision the Buffalo Sabres are going to have to make is who they use for their third pair on defense. It has been somewhat of a revolving door down the stretch, and this has likely been by design for the coaching staff to figure out their best pair.
Right now, they are looking for a combination of Logan Stanley, Zach Metsa, Luke Schenn, Conor Timmins, and Michael Kesselring. For most of these games, Stanley has been on the ice regularly and should be one of the two for the third pair.
It will be interesting to see what direction the Sabres go because Metsa has played the best, but the team may value the veteran experience of Luke Schenn. The Sabres probably will keep the Bruins guessing on what this will look like right up to puck drop.
Can they Buffalo Sabres fix their power play?
One area that the Boston Bruins have struggled this season is on the penalty kill, as they rank 24th in the league at 76.9%. They ended the regular season giving up 11 power-play goals in their final 14 games.
The concern is that the Buffalo Sabres' power play has been awful down the stretch, as they went seven straight games without a power play goal and currently are 0 for their last 22 power play opportunities.
For the Sabres, the good news is that the last time these two teams met, the Sabres scored two power-play goals on three power-play opportunities. If the Sabres can get back to having that level of success, it gives them a great chance to advance in these playoffs and get past the Bruins.
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