Playoffs Unite a Team, a City and it’s Fans
1. Utter Amazement
Some of us, including this eternally dejected guy, felt like we might never again see this day. Not only are the Buffalo Sabres back in the playoffs at long last, but they just amazingly advanced into the second round. They will be one of eight remaining teams with a chance to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup. Except for the favorites in Colorado and Carolina, Buffalo has as good a chance as anyone to win it all. In fact, I would rate them in the top three or four with the best odds to win a championship.
In a year of firsts, the Sabres just added another as they officially jettisoned Boston into the abyss. This is the Blue and Gold’s first playoff series win in 19 long, agonizing seasons. This magical year started with the Sabres first qualifying for the playoffs with an impressive run since back in early December. It would be their first post season appearance in 14 painful years. Then Buffalo eked out a division title, finishing a short hair ahead of Tampa Bay and Montreal in the Atlantic. That was their first title since the 2009-10 season in the old Northeast Division. Now, they finally win a series again here in 2026 and await the winner of the Tampa Bay/Montreal series to see who they will face. Take it all in, Buffalo Sabres fans. You deserve this moment more than any other fanbase!
It’s been a long time coming. The Sabres last won a playoff series during the 2006-07 season. During that run, they defeated the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals before eventually losing in the Conference Finals. That series produced some classic calls from long time broadcaster and Sabres’ legend Rick Jeanneret. I sure wish he was with us to enjoy this current playoff team. With his jovial enthusiasm and love of the game, this dynamic roster and their present success would give Rick a whole new batch of classics to bellow out. We really miss you RJ.
2. Four Lines Deep
The Sabres have a deep forward ranks and they all contribute in multiple ways. Offensive output wasn’t there for everyone though as a playoff series (and a single game itself) has its ebbs and flows. Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn and Jason Zucker all went without a goal, though they contributed elsewhere. I would not be surprised to see all of them on the scoresheet twice each in the next round. That’s just how it goes sometimes, their moments will come.
Buffalo’s hard working, hard hitting favorite 4th liner said it well. “I think we trust different lines in different situations to do different roles and it’s been what’s made us successful as a group,” forward Beck Malenstyn said. “Being able to trust different people on the ice to play defensively, score goals, all that kind of stuff. And this series has been no different.” Head coach Lindy Ruff loves that the Sabres’ ability to roll four lines is a huge asset for the team. Although he is always looking for the best matchup, he is also trusting in any line he puts out there. Lindy feels any of his guys can “beat” any line on the other team. That was apparent in the three wins in Boston, where the Bruins have the last change.
So who were the standouts among the forwards? Well, the top line played pretty well. Alex Tuch was probably the best all around forward. He finished with 4 goals and 7 points and was a +8. Tage Thompson had 7 points as well but 5 of those were assists. Hopefully he is savinng some goals for round two. Peyton Krebs was solid as well, with 6 points and a +8 to match Tuch. The 4th line did their job, physical shut down hockey with a bonus goal from Beck Malenstyn. Jordan Greenway was steady and Tyson Kozak was good on draws.
The middle six is where Buffalo had some offensive struggles but as I said earlier, I feel they will turn it around in the next series. The best two players in that group were clearly Zach Benson and John Doan. While neither lit it up against Boston, both finished with 3 points and both were a +3. Benson was a pest all series, finishing with 28 minutes in penalties while drawing Bruins players into taking bad penalties. You could see he was getting under their skin as Boston regularly went after him. But Taz took it, even relished in the attention. It came to a head with Charlie McAvoy’s two handed murderous swing that left Benson smiling on the ice and in the penalty box. That carnie bastard just doesn’t give a damn, he plays the game his way and loves doing it. His crucial goal in the third period in game 6 essentially sealed the deal for Buffalo. Speaking of that goal, how about the heart and soul of Josh Doan? He busted his ass to get to that puck and sacrificed his body and face to make that play. He was also a puck hound all series, challenging Alex Tuch for steals the other way while giving his all every shift. Give me a clone army of these two players please.
One last note about the scoring in this series for Buffalo. The Sabres’ defense registered an impressive 15 points in the six game set against Boston. Bowen Byram had five points while Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power had four each. The Sabres also got two big goals from Mattias Samuelsson. Combined, the Big Four went +15 against Boston and played well at both ends of the ice. The D of the Blue and Gold made up for the offensive shortcomings of the middle six with their contributions.
We will have another council after round two of the playoffs, hopefully with equally positive results. Meanwhile fellow DBTBers, live it up and love it up on our team. They have earned it. Congrats and thank you to the entire Sabres organization… but I must remind you that your work is not done yet.