On Friday, the Boston Bruins did not have a practice, but they held a media availability two days before their first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres begins on Sunday night in Western New York for Game 1. Head coach Marco Sturm had a quote that, well, got the good fans of the Sabres all fired up.
Now, let's be frank, the Boston Bruins have nothing to lose in this series. Even if they get swept, they are playing with house money, as nobody really thought that they would be in this position this season in Year 1 of a retool. Nobody.
Sturm comments on the Bruins physical style of play, and teams being scared were clearly heard by Buffalo fans and players. On Saturday, one thing was clear: the Sabres players were told to ignore the outside noise and not speak about it.
"That’s his take on his team,'' said head coach Lindy Ruff. "I have a lot of respect for what our team has done and how we play and the speed we play in the game. They’ve got a good team. They know who they are. We know who we are."
Let the games begin.
Hampus Lindholm wants to prove the doubters wrong
Going into the series, the Bruins are the clear underdogs. Nobody is going to dispute that. However, that doesn't mean that they can't pull the upset. If they do, it's going to be a monumental task, something Hampus Lindholm knows.
“It is a division team, we’ve played them enough to know kind of what they’re about. They’ve had a great season. They’re a high rush team, a lot of speed and a lot of skill. It is going to be a fun matchup,” Lindholm said. “It is a fun challenge for us, coming in a little bit as an underdog and prove people wrong.”
If they are going to pull the upset, staying out of the penalty box as well as sticking to the structure for 60 minutes a game will be vital.
More Boston Bruins and NHL News
- Throw the records out in the playoffs. Boston went 3-1-0 against the Sabres this season, but two of the three wins were in October at the TD Garden. That was six long months ago. A lot has changed for both teams since those battles.
- The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Patrik Allvin after finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings, 14 points behind the next closest team, the Chicago Blackhawks. It'll be interesting to see what happens after the next GM is hired, as there are a lot of players that teams would be interested in, and should make some available in trades this summer.
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