After failing to do so with a 4-1 loss in Game 5, the Bruins lead this series 3-2 and are hoping they can put away the Sabres on home ice to prevent having to go back to Buffalo for Game 7. If the B’s can finish it off Monday night, this would be Boston's first playoff series clinched on home ice since they knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes in 1999.
WHEN AND WHERE
Bruins (3-2-0) vs. Sabres (2-3-0)
Game 6 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
April 26, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, MA
HEAD TO HEAD
The Bruins lead this best-of-seven series 3-2. Games 6 is Monday night in Boston and if necessary, Game 7 will be in Buffalo at HSBC Arena on Wednesday.
GOALTENDING MATCHUP
Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 3-2-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .933 save percentage. He was 22-12-5 this season with a League-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.
Tim Thomas is 0-0-0. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. In his only appearance against Buffalo this season, Thomas was pulled after allowing three first period goals in a 3-2 Bruins loss.
Sabres
Ryan Miller is 2-3-0 with 2.02 GAA and .936 save percentage in the playoffs. He made 34 saves in the 4-1 Game 5 win. He was 41-18-8 this season. He was second to Rask in GAA (2.22) and save percentage (.929) and just like Rask, Miller had five shutouts.
Patrick Lalime is 0-0-0. He was 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage this regular season. He made 31 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins April 8.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Bruins
Forwards
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid
Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas
Sabres
Forwards
Tyler Ennis–Derek Roy–Jason Pominville
Paul Gaustad–Tim Connolly–Mike Grier
Nathan Gerbe–Adam Mair–Cody McCormick
Drew Stafford–Tim Kennedy–Patrick Kaleta
Defenseman
Henrik Tallinder–Tyler Myers
Andrej Sekera–Craig Rivet
Toni Lydman–Steve Montador
Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime
*Thomas Vanek skated and practiced on the power play again Sunday and is a game-time decision.
STAT SHEET
Bruins
- Patrice Bergeron leads the Bruins with two goals and two assists in the series.
- After scoring the OT winner in Game 4, Miroslav Satan assisted on the lone Bruins goal in Game 5 giving him two points in as many games and three in the series with another assist.
- Johnny Boychuk scored the only Bruins goal in Game 5 and now has three points in the series.
Sabres
- Rookie Tyler Ennis had a goal and an assist in Game 5 and now leads the Sabres with four points in the series.
- Jason Pominville had a goal and an assist in Game 5 and has three points in the series.
- Former BU star Mike Grier scored his second goal of the series in Game 5.
BLACK AND BLUE
Bruins
- Mark Stuart is out for at least the first round following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.
- Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for four more weeks.
- Marc Savard is still out with a concussion but has been skating all week. Savard is scheduled to take another neuro-psych test today but his status is doubtful.
Sabres
- Matt Ellis is a day-to-day decision with a broken nose.
- Thomas Vanek is game-time decision for Monday night’s game with a sprained ankle. Vanek skated again Sunday and will test his ankle and foot in the game day skate Monday.
- Jochen Hecht is out indefinitely after left pinky finger surgery.
OUTLOOK
The 4-1 win by Buffalo in Game 5 was the largest margin of defeat in the series. With the Bruins feeling more heat now and not wanting to blow a 3-1 series lead with the Sabres facing elimination, this game will be a lot tighter.
Tuukka Rask wasn’t bad in Game 5 but he will want to be more like the goalie we saw in the first four games. That, combined with Ryan Miller most likely on his game, means we’re in for a tightly contested and quite possibly low-scoring affair.
