BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The time for talking, practicing and poring over game film is over as far as Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is concerned.
With Buffalo facing elimination for the first time this postseason, Ruff told his team to avoid the rink Friday, meet at the airport and even contemplated canceling the skate the next morning in Montreal with his message essentially being: Show up and play.
“I know the pressure they’re feeling. I know how much they care.
I just feel a day away from the rink, not coming here, is a good thing,” Ruff said.
“We need to move on. There’s only one game that counts, and that is the game tomorrow,” he added. “We have to play on our toes. We got to play to win. Can’t be afraid.”
The Sabres trail 3-2 in their second-round series against the Canadiens, with Montreal hosting Game 6 on Saturday night (8 p.m. EDT, ABC) in what should be a raucous atmosphere. Aside from it being the Canadiens’ first Saturday night game of these playoffs, it also falls on Canada’s Victoria Day holiday weekend.
“We’ll see what tomorrow brings,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said Friday. “I feel that you just stay present where your feet are and take care of that. I think it helps sustain even keel and just focus on the process and prepare.”
The Canadiens have yet to lose two in a row this postseason, but are 1-1 in series-clinching games. In their opening series against Tampa Bay, Montreal lost 1-0 in Game 6 at home before a 2-1 win in Game 7 at Tampa Bay.
“It’s the hardest game. Any time a team’s got it’s back against the wall, that’s when they’re desperate,” defenseman Alexandre Carrier said. “We just got to stick to our game plan and really do what we do best.”
The series winner advances to play Carolina, which has swept both of its playoff series, and been off since a 3-2 overtime win against Philadelphia on May 9. The East final will start either next Tuesday or next Thursday.
The Sabres have various concerns following a 6-3 home loss on Thursday with a renewed focus on a sputtering offense and inconsistencies in net.
Leading 3-2, Buffalo allowed Montreal to score three times over the final 12 minutes of the second period.
Buffalo has combined for just nine goals in its past four games after a 4-2 win in Game 1. More worrisome is allowing 19 goals over the same span.
Regular-season leading scorer Tage Thompson, who was stopped on a breakaway early in the second period, has two goals and two assists in the series. Fellow first-line forward Alex Tuch has been blanked in all five games, and acknowledged playing poorly on defense.
“I’ve got to bear down. I’ve got to be better. I can’t play the way I’m playing right now,” Tuch said. “But I’ve got to move past it.”
Goaltending is a question mark. Ukko-Pekka Luukonen was pulled Thursday after allowing five goals on 23 shots through two periods. Alex Lyon mopped up, allowing a goal on three shots in his first appearance since losing the starting job following a 6-2 loss in Game 3.
Ruff doesn’t comment on his goaltending plans. And should the team not practice Saturday morning, the Game 6 starter won’t be revealed until shortly before puck drop.
Among Ruff’s other concerns is Buffalo either passing up scoring opportunities, or failing to finish when getting shots on net. This was especially the case in the first period, when Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes looked shaky after allowing three goals on four shots.
“We thought we let them off the hook,” Ruff said. “Probably there were four or five opportunities to get the puck there quicker last night that could have kept them in chaos.”
Ruff turned the attention to whatever bright sides he could find.
The Sabres are 4-1 on the road this postseason, including a series-clinching 4-1 win at Boston. There’s also the reality of Buffalo being one of five teams still in contention.
“We get to go to Montreal in Game 6 in the middle of May,” Ruff said, noting it’s a message he intends to share with his team. “I think we’ll all be evaluated on what this game looks like. Just bring your best.”
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