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The next big move could come behind the bench for the Buffalo Sabres, amid a significant shakeup this season.
For the first time since 2017, the Buffalo Sabres are going to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after they dispatched the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal on Friday evening at Boston’s TD Garden.
Goals from Alex Tuch, Mattias Samuelsson, Zach Benson and Josh Norris paced the Sabres to the historic victory, and they’re now preparing to face the winner of the series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, who will face each other in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday evening from Tampa Bay.
But as the Sabres continue preparations for their yet-to-be determined opponent, they were just dealt a devastating injury blow, confirming that a pair of forwards are expected to be unavailable for the entire upcoming series.
The Buffalo Sabres Are Going To Be Shorthanded For The Second Round Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Sabres have announced that they will be without a pair of forwards during the second round of the postseason, which will begin later this week against either the Lightning or the Canadiens.
Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff announced that forwards Sam Carrick and Noah Ostlund are both expected to be unavailable for the duration of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
“I don’t believe either will be available in this series yet,” Ruff said.
Carrick, who was acquired by the Sabres from the New York Rangers, was injured in the midst of a fight with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee on March 31 and hasn’t been able to play since.
Meanwhile, Ostlund suffered a lower-body injury during Buffalo’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Bruins in Game last week after getting tied up with Boston forward Casey Mittelstadt along the boards; he left the contest and did not return.
Carrick began making an immediate impact upon his acquisition from the Rangers, who came nowhere close to making the playoffs this season. He tallied five goals and six points in 13 games played, showing a knack for providing timely offense.
Ostlund was limited to 60 games during the regular season, during which he scored 11 goals and 16 assists.
The Sabres Have Released Their Second Round Stanley Cup Playoff Schedule
Regardless of who their opponent ultimately turns out to be, the Sabres will have home-ice advantage, as they finished ahead of both the Lightning and Canadiens in the standings and earned the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
The schedule dates, times, and television viewing options are as follows:
- Game 1 – Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. | KeyBank Center (TNT, truTV, HBO MAX)
- Game 2 – Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. | KeyBank Center (TNT, truTV, HBO MAX)
- Game 3 – Sunday, May 10 at 7 p.m. | Venue TBD (ESPN)
- Game 4 – Tuesday, May 12, time TBD | Venue TBD (ESPN)
- Game 5 – Thursday, May 14, time TBD | KeyBank Center (TNT, truTV, HBO MAX)
- Game 6 – Saturday, May 16, time TBD | Venue TBD (ABC or ESPN)
- Game 7 – Monday, May 18, time TBD | KeyBank Center (ESPN)
This season, the Sabres earned points in all four games against the Lightning, going 3-0-1. However, the Sabres and Canadiens each won two regular season games against one another during their four meetings.
Michael Whitaker Michael Whitaker is a sports journalist based in metro Detroit with nearly a full decade of experience with publications like Clutch Points and The Hockey News. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Eastern Michigan University. More about Michael Whitaker