Bruins' fatal flaw in heartbreaking Game 1 loss vs. Sabres

Everything was going right for the Boston Bruins in Game 1. They took an early first period lead that took the Buffalo Sabres' Keybank Center crowd out of the game, and added an insurance marker early in the third period that had the fans who waited 16 years for playoff hockey actually booing their hometown team after a couple of failed powerplays.

While it was a frustrating 53 minutes for Sabres fans, Bruins fans were starting to see some cracks in the team throughout the game, as Buffalo threw shot after shot at Jeremy Swayman. It was starting to become clear that if the Bruins were going to hang on and steal Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they would have to rely on their goaltender to stand strong.

Unfortunately, the constant onslaught ended up being too much for Swayman, and once the first goal went in after a turnover behind the net, the floodgates opened and ended in four goals over the final seven minutes for a 4-3 Sabres victory.

Bruins' fatal flaw in Game 1 loss vs. Sabres

Marco Sturm's tactics have been serving the Bruins well for most of this season, but like every team's fanbase, there are moments when you'd like the players to be doing something different. There were signs of the Bruins sitting back on their 1-0 lead at times in the second period, but once the two-goal lead came into effect, it felt like the team just closed their eyes and hoped the clock would run out.

The problem with sitting back against a good skating team like the Sabres is that if they want to, they can make life miserable for the other team's defense. Despite Sturm believing that the Bruins were bigger, stronger, and tougher than their opponents, it was Buffalo's forwards that established a punishing forecheck on Boston's defense.

With Boston's top blueliners wearing out by the end of the game, the first goal came on a forecheck where Charlie McAvoy didn't have any time to move the puck and allowed Tage Thompson to wrap the puck around past Swayman's foot. Then, Andrew Peeke made a similar play behind the net that gave Thompson another wraparound gift to tie the game.

Hampus Lindholm had a bit of bad luck when his stick broke on the go-ahead goal, but the same theme remained. The Bruins defensemen were trapped behind the net without many options, and a quick move to the front of the net to put the puck past Swayman. If the Bruins had played a bit more on their toes and less on their heels in their own defensive zone, the game might've had a different outcome. However, once the ball started rolling, Boston couldn't stop it.

For parts of the game, the Bruins looked like they had the blueprint for how they needed to win. The worry has to be that playing that style is going to catch up to them over seven games, considering they couldn't do it for 60 consecutive minutes on Sunday night.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow