Here are 3 things to watch in Game 1:
1. Playoff newbies
Though there is plenty of playoff experience on each side -- from the 66 games by Sabres forward Alex Tuch to the 91 played by Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy -- plenty will make their NHL postseason debut.
That includes notable names like Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and forward Tage Thompson. Ruff had some advice.
"I've told a few guys, as soon as you get one shift in the playoffs, you've got some playoff experience," Ruff said. "That's all you need."
All told, the Sabres have played a grand total of 387 postseason games and the Bruins 651, though all three who are Stanley Cup champions play for the Sabres: Luke Schenn in 2020 and 2021 with the Lightning; Bowen Byram in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche; and Tanner Pearson with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
Even for the Bruins, there are notable exceptions, including the entirety of their third line, a kid line made up of James Hagens, Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. That's especially true for Hagens, the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, who has an assist in two NHL games after debuting one week ago.
2. Who is bigger and badder?
When Sturm said, matter-of-factly, "We are bigger, strong, we are more physical, we just have to be smart, but we're going to go after them," on Friday, it didn't seem like he was taking a shot at the Sabres, but not everyone in Buffalo liked the comment.
The players mostly demurred, and Ruff was measured, when asked about it Saturday.
"That's his take on his team," Ruff said. "I have a lot of respect for what our team has done and how we play and the speed we play the game. They've got a good team. I mean, they know who they are and we know who we are."
There's no question that each team has some heavy hitters, with players like Mark Kastelic, Tanner Jeannot, Nikita Zadorov, Logan Stanley and Peyton Krebs. There is, of course, that five-fight, 102-penalty minute game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Buffalo on March 8.
Sturm didn't shy away from the comments Sunday.
"At the end of the day, nobody is looking closely enough like I do," he said. "I watched the last four games when we played them. It was very clear to see when we are on top of our game we are hard on pucks, strong on pucks, we are physical, we have a chance. And if we decide to play their way, might as well stay at home because they are that good."
3. Sabres on the man-advantage
It's been a rough go for the Sabres' power play of late. They were 0-for-22 in the final seven games of the season to finish tied for 19th in the NHL (19.5 percent).
The Bruins were the second-most penalized team in the League (978 penalty minutes) and boast the top two players in the individual category, Nikita Zadorov, 152, and Mark Kastelic, 140, with Stanley (128) ranking third. Boston was also 24th on the penalty kill (77.0 percent). That means the Sabres might just have a lot of chances on the power play. Whether they convert could change the series.
