Top quotes | Sabres look ahead to close-out opportunity in Game 5

For a team making its long-awaited return to postseason hockey, the Buffalo Sabres have passed every test that’s come their way in the early stages of these Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They’ve erased in-game deficits. They’ve managed to win amid raucous environments at home and hostile atmospheres on the road. They responded well to both wins and losses.

The next test may be the toughest. The Sabres will have their first opportunity to close out their series with the Boston Bruins in Tuesday’s Game 5 at KeyBank Center.

“You can expect this to be the hardest game that we're going to have to play short-term here,” said coach Lindy Ruff, whose 12 series wins are tied for 25th in NHL history.

“Because [the Bruins] are in the ‘nothing to lose and everything to gain’ category. They know that, if they don't put whatever they can put into the game, that they're done. When you're facing that, you're up against the wall and a lot of times we're going to see more risk. We might even see their defense involved a lot more. There's a lot of things you're going see.”

After traveling home from Boston with a pair of wins under their belt, the Sabres took a well-earned rest day on Monday in preparation for Game 5.

The few players who did skate included forward Josh Norris, who has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury but could be available to play on Tuesday. The same goes for Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker, both of whom exited Game 4 during the third period but are “probable” for Game 5, according to Ruff.

In the meantime, Ruff met the media on Monday along with forwards Josh Doan and Beck Malenstyn and goaltender Alex Lyon. Watch all three sessions in their entirety below and read on for some highlights.

Ruff on the importance of starting strong in Game 5: “I think the first period tomorrow is going to be a big period for us. … [The Bruins] are embarrassed to a man about the game. And I said this before, when the series started: They're a good team. For them to end up where they ended up, they're a good team. Through the year, did they have their stretches where they lost four or five or maybe four in a row? Yes. But did they correct it and get themselves in a good place? Yes, they did. So why wouldn't they be there again? The only reason they are there is because they have (responded), and I have a lot of respect for how hard it is to get to where they got.”

Ruff on the identity he want to see in Game 5: “Get to our game right away, get the puck in behind him, create puck pressure, make sure that we're backing each other up, get to net-front, screens, tips, flash screens where you're going through the front of the net where he's got to fight to see it. Make sure we have people around there for rebounds. A simple game, but played at a real fast pace.”

Lyon on how his fiery on-ice persona has grown over the years: “It’s definitely grown. It’s not a one-way street. There’s also a guy at the other side who’s an extremely talented player who’s very effective, and so I try to never lose sight of that. And so it’s just gamesmanship at the end of the day, and that’s kind of how I see it. But you have to go into the game with a somewhat fearless mentality and accept that it might not always go the right way. That’s when it’s the most difficult to have confidence in the scenarios is when things don’t go quite as how you planned. But like I said, it’s the same mentality; you have to be fearless and push through things that make you feel uncomfortable.”

Doan on how Lyon’s personality boosts the team: “He gives you a little bit of that boost, I think, at times when he’s got a little bit of fire back there. He’s a guy who we’ve all grown to love throughout the year. That’s his personality on and off the ice. He’s like that. I’ve got a chance to sit next to him on the plane this year and he gets pretty fired up about topics, so we have good conversations. But that’s part of who he is. And I think when you see him doing that, you know he’s on his game. That’s what kind of drives him. When he’s at his best, he’s barking at people.”

Up next

The Sabres host Game 5 at KeyBank Center on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Find info on the Sabrehood Block Party and more here.

The game will air on MSG in the Sabres’ broadcast market with pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. The national broadcast can be found on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.