Sabres vs. Bruins: Inside the Numbers

that’s all we have to do. This match-up makes me pretty nervous…though not as much as an Ottawa 1st round would have.

If you throw out the Enroth game, the Lalime game, and the shootout decision, we went 2-0-1 against them. Feel better now?

I think the Sabres’ typical regular season problem is playing with a lack of unified commitment and desperation. That shouldn’t be an issue in the playoffs.

Let’s not forget that though Rask has been very good against us – we were playing a depleted lineup that didn’t have much to play for the last time we faced Boston. If the roles were reversed I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that we win that game 3-1 instead of losing 3-1. With such a small sample size that changes things drastically. Which leads me to my real point – with such a small sample size these statistics are certainly nothing to worry about.

Boston is probably the most physical team of the options we had prior to yesterday. Last year’s series against Carolina was a pretty physical one and the hitting was pretty fierce.
 
They will be ready to play, but I like our chances.

The reason the Bruins can win this series is that they are a good road team. If they steal game one or two, look out. It should be an entertaining series though.

I will be surprised if this series makes it to a sixth game.

Boston has some problems: namely,

Their whole first line is gone/traded/vanished.
Their defense is so badly injured they must play Dennis “Toskala” Wideman 23 minutes a game.
Their best goal scoring threats are Miroslav Satan and Mark Recchi, who were the best goal scoring threats of teams that could score TEN YEARS AGO. (Recchi is still pretty darn good though.)
However:
Boston is pretty darn good at defense.
Zdeno Chara pwns the sabres.
Tuukka Rask is both good and has too many letters in his name.
The bruins are healing up (other than the corpse that used to be marc savard.)

Other notes:
If gerbe is replaced by Connolly, the sabres are not much smaller than the Bruins in height or weight overall. This surprised me.

(not so) Bold prediction:
The Tylers will save us because they are amazing.

to the Sabres because Buffalo needs winning sports teams. The western New York fans deserve better than the Bills in football, so perhaps hockey glory awaits.

Boston really needs to bring this back to Beantown tied 1-1 at the worst. As great a fan I am of the Bruins, the season has shown a little lack in the perseverance department.

Miller and Rask are setting up for this to be a fine goalie duel. Granted, Rask hasn’t had playoff experience, but I feel he’s up to the task.

I’m going to Game 3, so hopefully it will be an even series.

Rask is going to be the future of the Bruins, no doubt about that, this will be a really good test for Rask going against the best goalie in the world, and this be a good test for the bruins offense. you know what they say, a regular season does no matter anymore. this will also be a test for the sabres offense, since im a sabres fan im biased and think that we have the upper edge on the offense, hopefully we can get some great scoring from timmy when he comes back, and vanek keeps this streak going. chara i think is now given the oppotunity to prove to the nhl that there was a reason he was the venzia winner last year, he won that award right? but also for myers since he has been in the spotlight for the calder trophy. whats is satan going to be like in the playoffs? i feel there is alot of pressure on him, since bruins fans are now counting on him for scoring, and he didnt have that pressure when he won the cup with the penguins, b/c of sid the kid. it should be a good series.

You can take it to the bank. With Ennis and Connolly possibly playing on the same line could be scary. Hopefully Hecht is able to play so we can have arguably the best checking line in the East, with Goose and Grier.