Playoff drought over, Sabres seek to rekindle rivalry with first-round matchup against Bruins

After ending their NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, the Buffalo Sabres seek to revive an old rivalry when facing the Boston Bruins in a first-round series that opens Sunday. — At 26, Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is too young to appreciate the intense playoff rivalries Buffalo once enjoyed with various opponents.

A 14-season playoff drought has a way of thinning whatever bad blood once existed between the Sabres and former rivals such as Ottawa, Philadelphia, Montreal and Boston. With Buffalo finally back in the postseason and preparing to host the Bruins in a first-round series opening on Sunday night, Dahlin is eager to see what might develop.

“You have to be a contending team, so we haven’t earned ourselves a new rivalry,” Dahlin said before turning his attention to Boston. “We know the style of play they play. And it’s going to fit us great. So I’m excited. We’ll see what happens.”

The meeting with Boston will be a franchise record-tying ninth for Buffalo, and the first since the Bruins eliminated the Sabres in a six-game, first-round series in 2010.

Far too much time has passed, and faces changed, to carry over any semblance of the animosity that once existed between two franchises that were original members of the Adams Division in 1974.

“It was like an arms race. They would load up, we would load up and it would get pretty ugly,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said, referring to the animosity the teams developed during his playing days in Buffalo in the 1980s.

“It has been a long time,” he added. “It might take one play inside the game to develop bad blood. We’ll wait and see what is or if that comes about.”

Anything is possible as the Sabres seek to build off winning their first Atlantic Division title when they face a retooled Bruins team that enjoyed a 24-point jump after missing the playoffs last year.

First-year Boston coach Marco Sturm already has raised the temperature after suggesting the Bruins will attempt to outmuscle Buffalo.

“We know how we have to play,” Sturm said Friday. “We are bigger, stronger. We are more physical. We have to be smart, but we’re going to go after them.”

The Bruins are known for their rugged style and keyed by a fourth line featuring center Sean Kuraly and forwards Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic — all 6-foot-2 or taller. They’re big on defense, too, with Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei and Nikita Zadorov topping 6-5.

The Bruins’ challenge is slowing the Sabres’ up-tempo transition style by clogging the neutral zone and landing checks.

“We can’t play their way and their style, because if we do it, we lose,” Sturm said.

The Sabres can’t match the Bruins in size, and yet they have shown a flair for being tenacious and physical. It was particularly apparent when Buffalo didn’t back down in a rollicking, fight-filled 8-7 win over Tampa Bay on March 8.

“That’s his analysis of it,” Sabres forward Alex Tuch said, referring to Sturm’s comments.

“When it comes playoffs, everyone’s got to play big and strong to be able to win,” Tuch added. ”We’re focused on us and going to play our game and not going to listen to any outside noise.”

Series history

The Bruins are 26-19 in the playoffs against the Sabres, winning six of eight series.

Buffalo’s series victories came in 1993 — best known for Brad May scoring the overtime series-clinching goal in Game 4 — and 1999. Boston won three of four meetings this season — including two in OT — though the first two were in October.

Rolling into the playoffs

Both teams enjoyed second-half surges to reach the playoffs. Buffalo went 39-9-5 in vaulting from last place in the Eastern Conference in early December to finishing second overall. The Bruins were 20-18-2 following an 0-4-2 skid in late December before closing 25-9-8.

Inexperienced Sabres

Dahlin and leading scorer Tage Thompson are among numerous Sabres players making their playoff debuts. Dahlin ranks fourth among NHLers in playing 568 regular-season games before a postseason appearance. Buffalo’s roster features three former Stanley Cup winners and 12 players with playoff experience.

“They can keep talking about us and not having any experience, but it’s the result that is going to matter,” Dahlin said.

By the numbers

The Sabres finished fifth in the NHL with 283 goals for and tied for 10th with 240 goals against. The Bruins finished tied for 10th with 268 goals scored and 14th in allowing 247. ... Bruins’ leading scorer David Pastrnak is tied with Cam Neely for 10th on the franchise list with 87 career playoff points. He’s a point behind Wayne Cashman and five back of Bobby Orr. ... Ruff, in his second stint with Buffalo, has been head coach for 10 of the team’s 21 playoff series victories. ... Boston is making its 78th playoff appearance, which is second in the NHL behind Montreal’s 87.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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