Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller watches the puck under pressure from Boston Bruins' Michael Ryder (73) as Sabres' Steve Montador (4) and Michael Grier (25) defend during the second period of a first-round NHL playoff hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, April 23, 2010.Dean Duprey/The Associated Press
Having lived to play at least three more days, the Buffalo Sabres took the first of those days off and contemplated the boost in morale from their win over the Boston Bruins.
"I think the hope tank just got filled up again, which is to be expected after playing like that," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said Saturday in the wake of Friday's 4-1 win that staved off elimination and cut the Bruins' lead in the NHL playoff series to 3-2. "Our hope tank went up and we're hoping playing like that can raise the level of the doubt tank on the other side."
A day before the Sabres put on a complete team effort, from waking up a slumbering offence to players like Mike Grier willingly putting their heads in the way of Boston shots, Ruff admitted hope was a scarce commodity on his team.
The Sabres let third-period leads slip away in Games 2 and 4 of the best-of-seven series, something they had not done all season. Losing Game 4 in double overtime after carrying a 2-0 lead into the third period was especially debilitating.
Ruff and his assistant coaches spent much of their time between that loss and Game 5 on Friday trying to rebuild the players' confidence.
"I can't say enough about how hard we worked in [Game 4]and ended up losing it," Ruff said. "That's the frustration. To fight that frustration, that disappointment, we were a pretty quiet group going into Game 5.
"You get concerned as a coach because you put that much power into a game and make the mistake we made and give them that [winning]goal, there's a lot of frustration and the hope tank gets a little bit low. We tried to point out all the good things in the game and get them back on track mentally."
Also playing into the Bruins' "doubt tank," Ruff said, is the realization that if the Sabres can win again in Boston on Monday night to force a seventh and deciding game, the advantage will shift to the Sabres because Game 7 would be Wednesday in Buffalo.
"You don't want a Game 7, you want the opportunity in your own building to wrap it up," Ruff said of the Bruins. "We've got to come up with an even better effort than in Game 5."
What the Bruins need to do, Boston defenceman Andrew Ference said, is start playing better in the first period. Just as the Sabres fell behind in the series because of third-period collapses, the Bruins have not started their games well.
"The obvious thing is the first periods," Ference said. "Probably just like they want to tie up their third periods, we want to come out stronger.
"They're a quick-starting team and allowing that goal, even though we've been able to battle back a couple times, it's never easy. The statistics will catch up to you."
At this point, it is not known if left winger Thomas Vanek, the Sabres' best forward, who was lost to a sprained ankle in Game 2, will be able to play Monday night. While most of the team had the day off, Vanek skated yesterday with the spare players.
"We're going to try and get him in some battle drills," Ruff said. "I would hope [Saturday]is a good day and he gets through it. Then we can ramp it up into the type of practice he needs."
A decision on Vanek's status is not expected to be made until Monday afternoon.
Friday's game ended on a nasty note when Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara, who has been a handful for the Sabres in the series, set off a large scrum. He was given an instigator penalty for throwing punches, which calls for an automatic one-game suspension pending a league review.
NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell reviewed the call shortly after the game and ruled Chara was reacting to a slash by Sabres forward Paul Gaustad. That meant the instigator penalty was rescinded and so was the suspension.
The Sabres said they were not surprised and implied that it was a ruling that would not have been made during the regular season.
"I don't think you can hope for something like that," Sabres defenceman Steve Montador said. "It's the playoffs. It's a different mandate than the regular season."