Sabres headed to second round of playoffs with bigger goals in mind

BOSTON (AP) — Rasmus Dahlin arrived in Buffalo as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NHL draft wanting to be part of the revival for a city rabid about a Sabres team that hadn’t been to playoffs in the six years before his arrival.

Eight seasons later, he not only finally helped the Sabres get back there, but was a key factor in the franchise winning its first postseason series in almost two decades.

Buffalo’s 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Friday night wrapped up a 4-2 series victory, securing it a spot in the second round for the first time since 2007.

As the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard, Dahlin took a few extra moments to let it all sink in.

“It was unreal,” said Dahlin, who had a goal and three assists in the series. “I like how we attacked this series as a team. A lot of experienced guys. Playing the way we did all series, it’s pretty cool. We have good things ahead. We can learn a lot from this.”

What’s ahead is a matchup with either Montreal or Tampa Bay after the Lightning’s 1-0 overtime road win Friday night to force a Game 7.

After watching his team endure the disappointment of a Game 5 overtime loss at home, coach Lindy Ruff could tell they were a little uneasy. After all, Buffalo’s entered that game with a lineup that didn’t have a lot of experience, with just 10 players having previously appeared in an outing with a chance to eliminate an opponent.

But Ruff made his team a promise.

“I told them, ‘We’re going to win the game.’ I told them, ‘We’re going to win the series,'” Ruff said. “We’ve got to do some things better, but we are going to win the game.”

Friday’s win marked the second time in franchise history that the Sabres have won their first three road contests of a playoff year. They last did it in 1983 at Montreal (two games) and Boston (one game).

For other veteran players like Alex Tuch, there are loftier goals on his mind.

“For me it’s been five long years of waiting for something special to happen. We’re hoping it’s just the start,” he said. We’re one round into the playoffs and in our eyes we haven’t done anything yet. … We’re hoping it’s a long road ahead for us. It’s going to be a grind each and every day and we’re going to have to be ready for it.”

Goaltender Alex Lyon played in five of the six games in the series, one more than he did when he was with Florida during the 2022-23 season when it lost to Las Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final.

He allowed just five total goals in his appearances in the series with the Bruins. It is the fewest goals allowed in any five-game span in the playoffs by a Sabres netminder ever.

Lyon believes this team’s youth is becoming a positive.

“We’re learning every game. That’s kind of what’s bonded us,” Lyon said. “I find that we’re just learning how to handle different situations and kind of learning on the fly.”

Ruff’s only regret is that the Sabres’ home fans couldn’t watch them clinch this series on home ice.

“Would have really liked this game to be in Buffalo,” Ruff said. “It wasn’t. But it would have been special to have this game there.”

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