BOSTON \u2014 The Buffalo Sabres are one win away from advancing to the second round.<\/p>\n
The Sabres can finish off the Boston Bruins on home ice in Tuesday\u2019s Game 5 after claiming a 6-1 road rout in Game 4. The Sabres lead the series 3-1.<\/p>\n
The Sabres\u2019 forecheck was all over the Bruins in this game. Three of Buffalo\u2019s four first-period goals came because Boston\u2019s defensemen botched a breakout due to pressure. On the Sabres\u2019 first goal, Tage Thompson was all over Fraser Minten, who coughed up the puck after an errant breakout pass from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Alex Tuch was there to snag the loose puck and found Peyton Krebs, who beat Jeremy Swayman with a shot over his blocker.<\/p>\n
Then, with the Sabres on the power play, Hampus Lindholm had a weak clearing attempt that kept the play alive for Buffalo. And Ryan McLeod fed Josh Doan for a goal in front of the net with McAvoy in coverage. The Sabres went up 3-0 when Doan and Zach Benson forced Jordan Harris into another turnover while the Bruins were exiting the zone. Benson got the loose puck and carried it in to beat Swayman.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we just immediately got right to our game,\u201d said Sabres defenseman Owen Power. \u201cI mean, we were playing really fast, got on their D and causing turnovers, making plays. Obviously an ideal start, and hopefully we could bottle that up and bring it next game, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
At one point in the first period, the Sabres were outshooting the Bruins 14-2. They finished the first period with a 19-5 advantage in shots and a 4-0 lead after Bowen Byram scored his third goal of the series late in the period. Through 20 minutes, the Bruins had 10 giveaways, and the Sabres added two takeaways for good measure. That was enough for the Sabres to build a comfortable lead and skate to a win. Lindy Ruff said after the game that the first period was the best period they\u2019ve played all season. Buffalo\u2019s speed and tenacity on the forecheck have started to wear down a Boston team that struggles breaking the puck out to begin with.<\/p>\n
The Sabres have talked a lot about their depth, and that has started to show up in this series. By the end of the game, 12 Sabres had recorded a point, and four Sabres had multi-point games. Power now has an assist in all four games of this series. Krebs has five points in this series, and Tuch leads the team with six points. The Bruins don\u2019t seem to have an answer for the Sabres\u2019 ability to roll four lines consistently throughout the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be embarrassed. Because it was embarrassing,\u201d said Bruins coach Marco Sturm. \u201cGuys know me. We\u2019re going to talk about it. We\u2019re going to analyze this. But at the end of the day, we have to move on, too. I am embarrassed. We all should be. We are all pissed. We\u2019ll talk about it. But then we have to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jeremy Swayman chased<\/p>\n
Sturm chose to leave Swayman in net after the first period. It was a regrettable decision.<\/p>\n
After two garbage-time goals in the third, Sturm finally hooked Swayman at 6:41. Joonas Korpisalo finished out the game. Swayman will now have to regroup for Game 5 after two meaningless third-period goals by Beck Malenstyn and Tuch.<\/p>\n
Swayman barked some words at the bench when he got the hook.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely. At least one guy,\u201d Sturm said when asked if he approved of Swayman\u2019s flare-up. \u201cIt was not his fault today. I can tell you that. Felt bad for him. That\u2019s why we kept him in there for a while. Because he\u2019s a battler. He wants to be in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sabres\u2019 youngest line delivers biggest impact<\/p>\n
Doan, 24, is the oldest player on his line. Benson is 20, and Noah \u00d6stlund is 22. All three of those players are playing in their first playoff series. But that didn\u2019t seem to matter as they took over the game from the drop of the puck.<\/p>\n
Through two periods, the Sabres had a 7-2 advantage in shots and a 5-2 advantage in scoring chances when that line was on the ice. Benson and Doan both had goals, and \u00d6stlund and Benson nearly connected on another goal in the first period. \u00d6stlund also passed up a prime scoring chance late in the period.<\/p>\n
Secondary scoring is critical in the postseason, and that line already looks capable of providing that. Despite the fact that those three did not play together in the regular season, they have developed a quick chemistry. All three are relentless in puck battles, and \u00d6stlund adds just enough playmaking to complement Benson and Doan, both of whom love getting to the front of the net.<\/p>\n
Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm struggle in first<\/p>\n
McAvoy and Lindholm are the Bruins\u2019 top two defensemen. They did not play like it in the first period. McAvoy\u2019s poor outlet pass to Jonathan Aspirot set up the Sabres\u2019 first goal. Lindholm\u2019s half-hearted clearing attempt during a penalty kill for too many men on the ice led to Doan\u2019s net-front goal.<\/p>\n
The Bruins will not have much hope of keeping their run alive in Game 5 if McAvoy and Lindholm continue to fight the puck.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey had a lot of speed tonight,\u201d said Lindholm. \u201cThey came out on us quick. It\u2019s something we have to look at to try and be a little stronger on pucks and kill their speed a little bit to not play into their game. This time of year, it shouldn\u2019t be easy out there. We\u2019re going to have to make it way harder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viktor Arvidsson injured<\/p>\n
Arvidsson, the Bruins\u2019 No. 2 right wing, played just four shifts in the first period. He was limited to 3:13 of ice time because of an upper-body injury.<\/p>\n
It was a big loss for the Bruins. Arvidsson has been one of the team\u2019s most effective forwards because of his speed and willingness to tread in dangerous ice. He emerged in Game 2 along with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha in the Bruins\u2019 lone win of the series.<\/p>\n
It is not clear whether Arvidsson will be available for Game 5. The Bruins are carrying three extra forwards.<\/p>\n
Bowen Byram continues to elevate his game<\/p>\n
Bryam now has three goals this postseason, and he\u2019s arguably been the Sabres\u2019 most valuable player through four games in this series. He scored again on Sunday, putting the Sabres up 4-0 with a perfect wrist shot. But he\u2019s been impacting games in other ways, too. Byram was on the ice for four of Buffalo\u2019s six goals. At the midway point in the third period, the Sabres had a 16-4 advantage in scoring chances and an 8-2 advantage in high-danger chances during Byram\u2019s five-on-five minutes. Byram has been an important player for the Sabres all season, but he\u2019s taken his game to another level in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Bruins\u2019 personnel changes do little<\/p>\n