Sabres News: Round 1 schedule, regular-season grade, lines spotlighted

No, Buffalo Sabres fans, it's not a dream. The Blue and Gold are finally set to skate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011, ending the longest postseason drought in NHL history.

The Sabres will face off with the Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins in the opening round. Boston won three of the four meetings during the regular season, though it's worth noting two of those matchups came in October, long before Buffalo began its amazing turnaround.

Those inside the KeyBank Center on Sunday night for Game 1 are going to experience at atmosphere they'll never forget. Western New York is ready for the return of playoff hockey.

Sabres vs. Bruins schedule (Round 1)

After days of speculation, and countless rumors that ended up being inaccurate, the NHL finally released the full first-round schedule early Friday morning.

Here's a look at what's on tap for Buffalo and Boston:

It's not a perfect schedule for those in the 716 area code who were hoping for a bunch of Bills-esque tailgating opportunities, but the slate does leave the door open for a potential Sunday afternoon Game 7 (if necessary), which would be incredible.

Otherwise, it's a pretty standard series schedule with a couple extra days off built in. Both teams were strong at home throughout the campaign — 29-11-1 for Boston and 26-10-5 for Buffalo — so winning on the road will likely be paramount.

Buffalo praised for regular-season success

Even those optimistic about the Sabres making the playoffs this season didn't predict they'd win the Atlantic Division and finish as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. It was a breakthrough campaign of monumental proportions for the long-suffering franchise.

In turn, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic gave Buffalo a perfect grade for the regular season.

"Despite being in last place in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 9, the Sabres stormed all the way back and won the Atlantic Division by playing like the best team in the NHL for the last four months," Fairburn wrote. "Ending the playoff drought would have earned them an 'A' alone, but doing so by winning a rugged division is worthy of an 'A+.'"

It's hard to argue with that assessment. Obviously, Buffalo is dreaming big about a potential deep postseason run, but the year has been a success at baseline, regardless of what happens next.

Speaking of high marks, we recently wrapped up our Sabres player grades series after reviewing all 82 regular-season contests. Rasmus Dahlin finished in the top spot. Will he retain that distinction in the playoffs? We'll find out.

Sabres forward lines rate among NHL's best

Peyton Krebs joining Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch on the top line didn't make a ton of sense given the forward's lackluster offensive production throughout his career. Yet, head coach Lindy Ruff deserves a lot of credit because the numbers speak for themselves.

Buffalo's first line finished sixth in the NHL in goals generated per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck:

The trio of Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn, which caught fire coming out of the NHL's Olympic break in February, also ranked inside the top 20.

Buffalo's forward group doesn't feature a singular offensive force on the level of a Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov or Nathan MacKinnon, but the club's scoring depth, especially throughout its top three lines, can match up with any team in the league.

The Sabres will lean heavily on that balanced scoring attack if they're going to make a serious push toward a Stanley Cup title this spring.

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