The Buffalo Sabres played a statement game on Wednesday night. They took on the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their second-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Sabres, despite the tremendous season they’ve had, were still unproven in the postseason heading into Wednesday night’s showdown. The naysayers still had a loose argument that Buffalo was ready to wash out.
The Sabres proceeded to send a message. That message resonated throughout the NHL: Buffalo is very much a playoff contender. The Sabres are no fluke this year. They proved it by dispatching the Bruins in the first round and then dominating the Canadiens in the series opener.
The Habs, for their part, played a fantastic series against one of the toughest teams in the NHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning, even with injuries and absences, were a contender in the Eastern Conference.
But you wouldn’t think the Canadiens were that good a team, judging by their performance on Wednesday night. The Sabres jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead. The Canadiens close the gap to 2-1. Midway through the second, it was 4-1 Sabres.
Buffalo clamped down on the game, ultimately taking the contest 4-2. Yes, the Sabres managed just 16 shots. But it was the kind of night in which Buffalo didn’t need to pepper its opponent. It was a perfect display of execution.
That’s what truly matters in the NHL. Score on the chance you get, and then worry about playing good defense.
The Sabres exemplified that, and now have the Canadiens on the ropes. That might seem like a bit of an outlandish statement. But the Habs really are on the run. They can’t afford to fall into a 2-0 hole. Such a deficit would be a seemingly insurmountable gap the way Buffalo is playing.
Sabres proving they’re no flash in the pan
If the Sabres had lost the series against the Bruins, while disappointed, fans would have given the team a pass. They had a tremendous regular season. And their postseason failure would have been proof that they’re not quite ready for prime time.
The series victory against the Bruins could have left some room for doubt. Boston didn’t have the scoring, depth, and health to make a serious run.
All fair points. And they would have been used to justify a weak showing by the Sabres in Game 1 against Montreal.
That win on Wednesday night showed that the Sabres are no flash in the pan. They’re a team that’s increasingly getting more confident. If there was any doubt that this team believes in itself, that was erased against the Canadiens.
The series likely won’t be a sweep. It would be nice if it were. The Canadiens are too good to fall by the wayside just like that.
In any other year, the Habs would have been earmarked for a very deep run. This year, they’ve ploughed into a team of destiny in the Sabres. The message is loud and clear: The Sabres are here to stay.
The biggest statement Buffalo could make is knocking off the two remaining giants: The Carolina Hurricanes and the Colorado Avalanche. Such a feat would surely elevate the Sabres among the catalog of the NHL’s greatest squads.
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