The Buffalo Sabres are set to officially return to the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons on Sunday evening against the Boston Bruins. It has been a long wait for the franchise and even for players like Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
When looking ahead to this series, there are plenty of reasons for fans to be excited about what the Buffalo Sabres should be able to do. Based on how the season has played out, as well as how the four meetings between these two teams have gone, these are four predictions for the upcoming series.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has at least one shutout in the series
It has been a stellar season from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who bounced back in a big way to help get the Buffalo Sabres to this point. He would go on to finish with a 22-9-3 record and improve his save percentage from .887 to .909 and his goals against average from 3.20 down to 2.52.
He also would record a shutout during the regular season, which he did against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 17th. It would be his first in over a calendar year, with the last shutout before this season being back on January 9th, 2025.
Luukkonen has played the Bruins twice this season and allowed four goals, with one being an overtime goal, in a 4-3 loss in March. However, the other start he allowed only one goal as the Sabres would win 4-1 in that game.
The goaltending is going to be one of the big storylines in this game, and Luukkonen knows the spotlight is going to be on him. With the way he has played this season, he should be able to deliver at least one shutout in this series against the Bruins.
Rasmus Dahlin leads the team in points
The Buffalo Sabres finished the regular season fifth in the league in goals scored per game at 3.45 and one of the reasons they finished as high as they did was because of how involved their defensemen are in the offensive zone.
Rasmus Dahlin is a big part of that and set a new career-high in points with 74, with 19 goals and 55 assists. He was able to reach this mark with an excellent finish in the regular season, scoring seven points in his final five games.
Dahlin is entering his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs and is going to be very motivated to make an impact. When he is at his best, he is a difference maker, and teams struggle to match up against him. Whether it is 5v5 or on the power play, Dahlin should have a great series, and he finishes leading Buffalo in points.
Zach Benson-Josh Norris-Josh Doan line accounts for the most goals this series
The Sabres' top line is undoubtedly the one with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch; however, the one that is going to be the most productive, at least in this series, is the one of Zach Benson, Josh Norris, and Josh Doan. These three down the stretch have clicked, and that should carry over against the Boston Bruins.
Over the last five games, Zach Benson and Josh Norris have each had three goals while Josh Doan has two. Of those eight goals, six have been when these three have been together on the ice in 5v5 situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Sabres have the question of where Noah Ostlund fits back in this lineup once he is ready to return, which could be early in the series. Ostlund previously was on the line with Josh Norris and Josh Doan, but with how well they have played with Benson, it is hard to break this group up.
Buffalo Sabres win the series in five games
These two teams played each other four times during the regular season and the Bruins won three of those games. However, all four games were extremely close as the Bruins scored an empty net goal late in the first meeting to win 3-1, the Sabres scored an empty net goal to push their lead 4-1 in their win and the Bruins won the two overtime games by a final score of 4-3 on both occassions.
The reason this series should be different is that the Sabres are playing for more than just one series; they have waited 14 seasons for this opportunity. Players like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have been a part of more than half of those with eight straight seasons of hockey without a trip to the playoffs.
The Sabres getting home-ice advantage is going to be a big reason they are able to win this series in five games as they will play the first two games at KeyBank Center. For the Bruins, they have struggled on the road with a 16-16-9 record this season, while the Sabres, with the backing of a great fanbase, should win the first two games.
If the Sabres are able to win one of two in Boston, they can return to Buffalo for Game 5 in a series-clinching moment and will be able to move on to the next round.
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