The Sabres cancelled their Monday morning practice after returning from a pair of road playoff wins in Boston. It was a well-earned morning off for the group as they now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Bruins. Head Coach Lindy Ruff, Alex Lyon, Josh Doan, and Beck Malenstyn all met with the media.
Ruff painted a clear picture of what brought his team success in their back-to-back victories “I didn’t feel in games 1 and 2 we moved our feet enough, didn’t create enough chaos inside the offensive zone… a simple game but played at a real fast pace”. The Sabres created a handful of goals off forechecking pressure and high energy, clearly following the blueprint Ruff is the architect of. Ruff also highlighted another crucial piece of the Sabres gameplan, getting the defenseman more involved offensively. “Our D were heavily involved which is a big part of our game. I thought Games 1 and 2 I didn’t notice our D as much but these last two games I’ve really noticed how much they’ve been involved”.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 23: Bowen Byram #4 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Boston Bruins during the second period Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
There was also an update on forwards Jason Zucker, Tyson Kozak, and Josh Norris as Ruff labeled all three as “probable for tomorrow”. Zucker and Kozak both left Sunday’s game with injury, while Norris missed Games 3 and 4 with an injury. It will be a big decision for the coaching staff if Norris does in fact return to the lineup, as Noah Ostlund has been great since replacing Norris between Josh Doan and Zach Benson, recording a goal and an assist in his playoff debut. It’s safe to say Doan is happy either way as he mentioned how easy it is to play with both players as his center “Obviously both are extremely skilled down the middle… I think it’s pretty easy to stay the course when you’re rotating between either one of those guys”.
Lyon’s hyper-competitive demeanor was also a hot topic at this morning's media availability. Ruff had this to say about Lyon’s mindset “Every goaltender has their own personality, and his personality has a lot of fire in it… it’s something the group likes… I think that personality is infectious”. Doan also spoke about how Lyon’s energy impacts the bench “He gives you a little bit of that boost I think at times when he’s got a little bit of fire back there”. It is not common for a goaltender to be in the mix the way Lyon is, they are typically quiet, focused athletes that like to stay away from the between-whistle antics. Lyon credited his career path and parents for his unique approach “I just don’t necessarily think I’ve been given anything and have had to work for everything.. and maybe credit to Tim and Deb Lyon a little bit as well for raising me that way... I think it fits well in Buffalo”.
The Sabres will look to close the series out on Tuesday night at 7:30pm in what Ruff predicts to be “the hardest game that we’re gonna have to play short-term here”. If the Sabres are able to finish off the Bruins Tuesday night they will face the winner of the Tampa Bay-Montreal series in the second-round.
