By: Ellie Man | Follow me on Twitter/X @ellieyym
The playoffs have already been a rollercoaster for the Boston Bruins. Game three saw the Buffalo Sabres take the lead in the season series, claiming the advantage with a 2-1 record. This was a disappointing result on home ice for the Bruins, who had previously seen a renewed surge of energy and improved offensive output in game two. One key aspect that remains a glaring problem is the Bruins’ power play.
David Pastrňák scored the team’s first power play goal in the final seconds of game one, making it a one-goal game after Boston blew a two-goal lead. In game two, Pavel Zacha tipped in a pass from Pastrňák at 18:10 in the second period. This added another tally to the power play goals count and increased the Bruins’ score to three – and this time, the three-goal difference was enough to keep the Buffalo Sabres at bay. The competition rallied to put two pucks in the net in the third period, but Zacha’s goal held up to be a game-winner and prevented a triumph for the Sabres.
While this game brought back a victory and a boost in morale, there remains clear work to be done. The Bruins have been slow to action on the power play, often passing the puck between linemates but hesitant to attempt shots. Game one saw the Bruins go onto the power play three times, in game two, five times, and in game three, four times, as tensions flared between the two teams. However, the majority of these openings went unanswered.
After the sore loss in game one, where the Sabres achieved a dramatic comeback, Coach Marco Sturm spoke to the media. This saw him address how puck management needs to maintain tight for the game’s full 60 minutes to avoid offering the Sabres risky opportunities. Following this assessment, starting lines remained the same, though newbie James Hagens made his debut on the Bruins’ power play in an attempt to better the man-advantage performance. But with chances still going missed, the results have yet to click.
A saving grace for the Bruins and their special teams is that the Sabres are experiencing an even worse slump on their own power play. The Sabres failed to take advantage of their four opportunities in game one, five in game two, and five in game three. This has extended their string of missed power play conversions to 35, which dates back to April 2. Looking to make a deep run for the championship for the first time in 15 years, the team will be looking to end its drought quickly before it has a serious impact.
With the series demonstrating a back-and-forth between wins and losses, and an intense game four coming up fast, both teams will need to tune up their power play to take control and capitalize on all scoring opportunities. The race for the Stanley Cup continues with the next faceoff taking place on Sunday, April 26, but the first battle will be which team can find success on their power play and bring home the upper hand.
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