Buffalo Sabres Eliminate Bruins — and Suddenly, Big Dreams Feel Real

BOSTON–Early last December, the Sabres found themselves in a position they'd been in too many times in their 14-season playoff drought: the floor of the Atlantic.

As history tells us, most teams that aren't in a playoff spot at American Thanksgiving will not make the playoffs – especially a team at the bottom of its division.

These Sabres kind of have a thing for writing their own story, though.

After all they've been through, Buffalo will be moving on to the second round after a 4-1 win in Game 6 Friday night at TD Garden to eliminate the Bruins. The Sabres await the winner of the Canadiens-Lightning series.

Not only did they embark on an historic turnaround in mid-December featuring a 10-game win streak, but they climbed from the bottom to the top of the Atlantic. They became the fifth team in NHL history to clinch a division after overcoming a standings deficit of eight or more points.

History once again tried to tell us that most first-year playoff teams don't make it past the first round, but a first-round exit was never going to cut it for these Sabres. Most of those other teams start out bright-eyed and fast-paced, only to have their more seasoned opponent wear them down game by game, and they slowly fade away.

These Sabres? You felt their energy, confidence, and sharpness improve almost shift-by-shift throughout their series win over the Bruins. Their first playoff series win since 2007 was chock-full of confidence.

"This is a group that hasn't been here. I wanted to try to keep it relaxed," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "I told them, 'We are going to win the game, we are going to win this series. We've got to do some things better, but we are going to win this game.'"

Now, after a series-clinching victory in enemy territory, just eight more wins separate the team that was last in the Atlantic in December from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. These games will only get harder, requiring more and more of a team that keeps finding it.

"Part A is getting to the playoffs, Part B is trying to have success when you get there," Ruff said. "I thought our guys dug in and gave us a heck of a game [Friday]."

As this group that keeps defying expectations advances to the second round, it's feeling safer and safer for fans to dust off their highest hopes.

Some Sabres team has to be the one to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, right? Superstitions, trust issues, and growing pains aside, why wouldn't it be this one?

In an open Eastern Conference, anything is possible. But the Sabres do have solid ingredients to get there. From solid goaltending in next with Alex Lyon to a bona fide No. 1 defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin to top offensive players like Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson, Buffalo is well-built for a long run.

"Every team sets out in training camp to hoist the Stanley Cup. Obviously, that's a goal for our team as well," Alex Tuch said after netting the opening goal in the win. "In our eyes, we haven't done anything yet. We are going to enjoy this series win, but we are hoping it's a long road ahead of us. It's going to be a grind each and every day. We're going to have to be ready."

Look, the first round exposed the areas the Sabres need to improve on if they're to hoist the Cup in June. They'll need to step it up on the power play -- a 1-for-24 series clip simply isn't going to fly the rest of the way. They'll need to lock in harder and avoid distraction at home if Games 2 and 5 are any indication. They'll also need to prepare for a more complete opponent than the David Pastrnak-Jeremy Swayman two-man show they faced in the first round.

But the Sabres looked right at home in their first playoff series in 15 years. They moved on quickly from mistakes and missed chances, they blocked shot after shot like the vets, and they didn't shy away from taking charge and forcing the opponent to play their game.

Lyon shone in net, allowing just five total goals in five appearances this series, the fewest goals allowed in any five-game span in the playoffs by a Sabres goaltender all-time.

This is Sabres hockey. For the first time in a long time, the phrase "Sabres hockey" invokes respect. And maybe -- just maybe -- this historic year for Buffalo could end with the most anticipated history-maker of all.