Following the morning skate before the Bruins lost to the Sabres, 4-3, in Game 1, five Bostonians were pushed to the middle at the behest of veteran defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

The connection? All were hours from making their playoff debuts.

James Hagens, Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov, Mark Kastelic, and Jonathan Aspirot all entered Sunday with zero postseason games on their résumés.

“Obviously it was a cool moment,” said Hagens, who opened the game — just his third in the NHL — at left wing on a line with Minten and Khusnutdinov. “So just for all of us, I’ve only been here for two games — third now. So, everything’s coming at you really quick, but these guys have worked all year, all their careers for this, and it’s really exciting for me to be able to be along for the journey.”

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Marco Sturm said he did have a quick chat with Hagens to reinforce staying in the moment and sticking to the things that enabled the rookie to crack the lineup so quickly.

“I reminded him that nothing changes. Maybe there’s a little bit of noise here in Buffalo, but other than that, you just got to go with it,” said the Bruins coach. “You got to enjoy that moment and also don’t have that affect you in these kinds of games, too. So, easier said than done. I think those kinds of players and kids have to go through a few shifts to get things normalized, I would say. But again, that’s just experience and I think the big picture in the long run, it’s just going to help our kids moving forward.”

Hagens had one shot in 11:02 of ice time. Kastelic delivered five hits, second to Zadorov’s six for the most on the team.

Fans were gathering outside of KeyBank Center hours before the Sabres made their first postseason appearance in 15 years.Joe Hrycych/Getty

Does last change matter?

With home ice for Game 1 and 2, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has the luxury of the last change — meaning the Bruins must send their substitutions out first following a stoppage in play.

It can be a tactical advantage used to exploit perceived favorable matchups. Sturm, however, was not too concerned about it. He feels his lines can hold their own regardless of who they’re facing.

“In the past, Lindy was not really a big matchup guy. He did his thing, so we’ll see where it goes. Maybe he does it different in playoffs, but we don’t really care,” said Sturm. “We know how we have to play. We’re going to be ready to go. We’re excited. We are bigger, stronger. We are more physical. We just have to be smart, but we got to go after them. And whoever comes in first line, second line, I don’t really care. We try to play our game and not their game.”

Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin didn’t put much stock into Sturm’s characterizing his club as “bigger [and] stronger.”

“It’s the result that matters,” said the Sabres captain. “I don’t know. It’s media. They can say whatever. But it’s the result that matters and we’ve just got to go out there and play our game and play hard.”

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin had 19 goals and 55 assists for a career-high 74 points while producing a plus-18 rating, also a career high.Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Dangerous Dahlin

Sturm had high praise for Dahlin, who had 19 goals, 74 points, and a plus-18 this season. “I always compare a guy like him with [Colorado’s Cale] Makar. Those are special players. And the thing is, if you let him, he’s going to destroy us basically,” said Sturm. “So, we cannot allow that to happen. So, then what it means, you know, we need to stop him. And the best thing is [to] finish our checks and make sure when he’s on the ice, we are aware because he’s that good.” Dahlin had two shots and was a plus-1 on Sunday . . . Simon Zajicek was recalled from Providence and served as a practice goalie during morning skate . . . This is the ninth playoff series between the Bruins and Sabres, with Boston holding a 6-2 edge . . . Boston College defenseman Michael Hagens, James’s older brother, has entered the transfer portal according to the New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver. Hagens had a goal and 13 points in two seasons with the Eagles.

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him @globejimmcbride.