There is no doubt the Buffalo Sabres got some things right as they won the opening series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins. However, they struggled in one surprising area throughout that first part of the postseason.
They won all three road games against the Bruins while playing in Boston. The issue is that they went 1-2 at the KeyBank Center. Now that the playoff competition gets harder and steeper, they will need to perform better on home ice. Otherwise, they will not be successful for the next round and however long they play in the tournament.
It is surprising they struggled at home considering they had a .695 points percentage on home ice this season. This included a goal difference of plus-27 while they played in front of their fans.
In the opening series against the Bruins, their home games told a different story. While on home ice they won only once in Game 1 and had a goal differential of minus-two.
As the look ahead to the next round against the Montreal Canadiens, it will be important for them to play stronger and bring about more momentum while in Buffalo. The Canadiens won 24 games on the road in the regular season and two games in the opening round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Taking a game or two while they are not at home can be vital for a run to the Stanley Cup. Taking care of the business at home will be just as important, though.
Head coach Lindy Ruff has commented recently as to why the team struggled in the opening series while playing in Buffalo.
"My only thought is there’s a lot of distractions at home,” Ruff told reporters this week. “It’s hard. In case you have a lot of family, you’ve got friends, there’s a lot more going on at home for you as a player."
The Sabres still have home-ice advantage and they will need to improve in Round 2
The team themselves are young and as Ruff said, they made tighter while playing at home versus loose on the road. If they felt pressure at home, it may be growing pains of a young team.
"You just want to limit those distractions and be together," Sabres alternate captain Alex Tuch said during the opening series.
Limiting distractions and getting off to good start against Montreal will be important for the first two games of the series in Buffalo.
Game 1 is set for Wednesday night at the KeyBank Center.
Add us as a preferred source on Google