Looking to even their first-round playoff series with the Buffalo Sabres after dropping Game 3 at home on Thursday night, the Boston Bruins put together an embarrassing performance with basically their season on the line. They allowed four goals in the opening 15 minutes and never recovered in a loss that puts the Sabres up 3-1 in the series.
Boston now boards a plane to head to Western New York for Game 5 on Tuesday night, when Buffalo can close out the series. Given what happened on Sunday afternoon, who thinks there will be a Game 6 back in Boston on Friday night? Here are three takeaways after the Sabres completed a sweep of Games 3 and 4 at the TD Garden.
First period beatdown sent message
I mean, there is not much to say about the first 20 minutes, or the second 20 minutes. It was a Buffalo beatdown. Four goals 10 minutes apart, and it was a good night. Once Bowen Byram made it 4-0, that was all she wrote. It was mistake after mistake, after mistake in the defensive zone that cost the Black and Gold. Sound familiar?
The Bruins are not a team built to come from behind, and chasing one or two goals is tough. Chasing is difficult, but chasing four, forget it. The two wins in Boston by the Sabres showed that they are head and shoulders above the better team that deserves to advance, while the Bruins have a long, long way to go to be competitive in a playoff series.
Bruins don't have a goalie problem on their hands
It probably doesn't matter, but do the Bruins have their own goalie questions going into Game 5? No, but I'm sure one will be created. Jeremy Swayman was helpless on the first four Buffalo goals, as the Sabres sent an early message.
Marco Sturm will go back to Swayman, likely, and he should. He has been good at bounce-back all season long and will have to do it one more time. However, does it really matter? The Sabres have proven to be able to win on the road as much this season as well as at home. Going back to Swayman and letting him rebound is the only choice Sturm has.
This series is all but over
Honestly, if Buffalo doesn't close this out Tuesday night, then it would be surprising. The Bruins will be facing a loud and crazy KeyBank Center with a fanbase out for blood. It's hard to imagine Boston winning one more game, never mind three in a row. Winning Game 5 only delays the inevitable in Game 6. Too many self-inflicted mistakes from the drop of the puck put this away early.
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