After dropping the last two games to the Flyers, the Sabres are staring at a 2-1 series deficit they need to climb out of if they want to advance further in the playoffs. The Flyers have looked like the better team through most of this series and the Sabres need to find a way to finish the chances they have created if they are going to take three out of the next four games.
The Sabres offense can’t seem to find many chances scoring at even strength. The Sabres only have scored four goals at even strength compared to their three goals scored on the powerplay. The Flyers gave the Sabres six powerplays in Game Three and will most likely allow less in Game Four.
The biggest key to this game is to get the first goal. Thus far in the series, the team that has scored first has gone on to win the game. Usually in the playoffs, the team that scores first has the upper hand throughout the game and scoring first at home keeps the crowd in the game.
Brian Boucher has been a spark for the Flyers after he replaced Sergei Bobrovsky in Game Two. Boucher hasn’t been great, but he has been better than the goaltender at the other end of the ice in the last two games he has been in. Ryan Miller was spectacular in Game One and not that great in Games Two and Three. This isn’t a call to replace Miller for Game Four, but he does need to step up and stop allowing the soft goals that have plagued him all season.
Game time is 7:30, gamethread will be at 7:00 pm.