3 Defensemen most to blame for Bruins' Game 6 loss to Sabres

For a team to succeed in the playoffs, its best players have to perform at their best. Sure, the eventual winners have a few unsung heroes step up along the way, but it's always the cream that rises to the top at the end of the day. For the Boston Bruins in Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres, their cream curdled at the bottom of the mug for all their home fans to see.

In the Bruins' disappointing 4-1 loss on home ice, the first three goals by the Sabres came as a result of some poor decisions and plays by three defensemen who came into the season as the team's "big three".

Charlie McAvoy

The Bruins needed a fast start after losing Games 3 and 4 at TD Garden to prove to their fans that they were ready to show up and play. An early goal from the Sabres was going to take the fans out of the game early, and that's exactly what happened when Alex Tuch escaped coverage in the defensive zone and slid a one-timer past Jeremy Swayman.

The defensive coverage was fine entering the zone. Jonathan Aspirot got stuck in a zone defense's winger position because of Marco Sturm's insistence on playing man-on-man, which, even though it looked strange, was the right play for the system's purposes. The forwards kept their man as well, but as soon as Charlie McAvoy overcommitted, as he tends to do, Tuch was wide open for the goal.

Nikita Zadorov

Nikita Zadorov loves to mix it up on the ice, throwing his weight around often and always having something to say to his opponents after the whistle is gone. His physical presence on the backend is a valuable part of his game, but he may as well have been playing minor hockey with no body checking on the play for the Sabres' second goal.

With Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson screening Swayman, Zadorov mysteriously stood there and let them do it instead of trying to clear traffic, and actually did the best job out of any of the players to give the Sabres a perfect screen. Pavel Zacha was also in the vicinity, but when comparing the two players' physical statures, it was Zadorov's time to at least attempt to clear out the front of the net.

The goal against on this play was one thing, but Zadorov's constant turnovers and puck bobbling in the defensive zone are so infuriating that you're almost glad that the season is over and you don't have to see it again until September.

Hampus Lindholm

Speaking of things you don't want to see until September, Hampus Lindholm is going to be one defenseman that becomes the bane of Bruins fans' existence by the time his contract is done at the end of the 2029-30 season.

The Bruins had all the momentum in the third period and loaded up a line for an attacking zone faceoff to conduct one of their patented faceoff plays. Lindholm, faced with some pressure, made one of the worst plays of the postseason in an attempt to force the play to David Pastrnak, putting a fitting end to a dreadful season for him and the rest of the Bruins' defense corps.

In the interest of trying not to pile on, we won't mention McAvoy getting outmuscled by Josh Doan right before the goal. We'll save the piling on for another time and another place.

Three mistakes, from the team's best three defensemen, and the Bruins are going home after six games in the first round, and the problem is that this poor performance from them isn't just a one-off. The blueline has to get better next season, and having all three of those defensemen in the lineup again isn't a way for that to happen. Some changes need to be made.

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