The Boston Bruins didn't care about the score, the series situation or where the game was being played. When they faced the Buffalo Sabres in the opening round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs, they were hellbent on playing defense-first, counterattacking hockey.
It gave the Sabres, who prefer to play an up-tempo, free-flowing game, some problems but they still managed to advance in six games.
Now as Buffalo prepares to face another Atlantic Division rival, the Montreal Canadiens, in Round 2 it's expecting to experience a more wide-open style of play.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed the Sabres' outlook on the Habs series ahead of Wednesday night's Game 1 on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
"One of them said, Boston almost looks at it like a sense of pride that there's a certain way they play and that they're not going to give up rush chances to you," Friedman said. "... But Montreal — and again, I don't think it's because Montreal is undisciplined or anything, I think far from it — but I just believe that they think that Montreal is less afraid to trade chances with them and that those moments will happen. Like, Montreal will rush you, they will take more risk than Boston did."
The Sabres (3.45 goals per game) and Canadiens (3.40) both ranked inside the top seven of the league's highest-scoring teams during the regular season, so it certainly makes sense there might be a little more offense on display, at least early in the series.
What Buffalo can't afford is to allow power-play production to become a vital aspect of the offensive equation because that's a battle the Habs, who were significantly more efficient with the man advantage this season (23.1% to 19.5%), are likely to win.
Alex Lyon vs. Jakub Dobes goaltending matchup will take center stage if Sabres and Canadiens decide to play "River Hockey"
In March, Friedman caused a stir among the Sabres and their fans when he passed along a quote from an anonymous player on another team as Buffalo skyrocketed up the standings.
"It's river hockey, although they are very good at it," the player said.
The phrase "river hockey" became a rallying call in Western New York, so it's a full-circle moment as that style of play may once again be on display in the second round against Montreal.
If so, it'll place even more pressure on the teams' goalies to fend off the high-danger chances that typically result from the more aggressive approach.
Alex Lyon replaced a struggling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen late in Game 2 against the Bruins and proceeded to hold the crease for the remainder of the series. He built the foundation of a Conn Smythe Trophy case by posting a .955 save percentage across five appearances.
It's reminiscent of early in the campaign when UPL was sidelined by injury and Lyon often stood on his head to keep Buffalo, which hadn't yet started its remarkable turnaround, competitive.
The 33-year-old veteran will stare down the rink at 24-year-old Jakub Dobes, who's coming off a tremendous performance in Game 7 against the Lightning that saw him stop 28 of Tampa's 29 shots to punch the Habs' ticket to Round 2.
Dobes is a perfect example of why playoff experience matters (and why the Sabres shouldn't give up on UPL despite his issues vs. Boston. The Canadiens netminder posted an .881 SV% in three postseason games last year, but looked far more confident and in control against the Bolts.
The 6-foot-4 Czechia native also enjoyed success against Buffalo during the regular season, winning both games he played while turning away 66 of 70 shots (.943 SV%), and he'll look to carry that over into what should be a hard-fought, extended series.
Ultimately, goalie performance is a critical factor in every NHL playoff series, but it's particularly at the forefront when two talented offensive teams are running and gunning.
It sounds like that'll be the case when the Sabres and Canadiens face off starting Wednesday night at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo.
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