Third Period Goal Differential Could Define Series for Bruins

By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter/X @TCalauttis

The Boston Bruins tied their first-round playoff series last night when they jumped out to a four-goal lead and vanquished the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. The Black and Gold accomplished the ever-important road split and now prepare to return home for games three and four.

For the most part, the first two games have gone as expected. David Pastrnak leads all players in scoring, Jeremy Swayman is a game-changer in net, and the B’s have been able to neutralize Buffalo’s strong transition game. Each of those factors is an important piece of the puzzle, but if the Bruins want to advance to the next round, this series may come down to who can hold serve in the third period.

First, let’s go back to the regular season series between these two squads, where Boston went 3-1 over the course of four meetings. Both teams won a game apiece in regulation, and the Bruins took the other two matchups in overtime.

In those four games, the Bruins outscored the Sabres 12-11 and earned some valuable points in the process. However, when you break the scoring down by period, it becomes clear that Boston’s biggest weakness against their Western New York counterparts is the third period.

Of the 11 goals the Sabres tallied against Boston this season, six of them came in the game’s final frame. That means that over 50 percent of Buffalo’s total offensive production came in the last 20 minutes.

In both of the regular-season games decided in overtime, the Bruins squandered leads and allowed Buffalo to mount late comebacks in order to drag the game to extra time. That trend defined the season series and has had a profound impact on the first two playoff games.

The Bruins took a two-goal lead into the final eight minutes of Game 1 before completely unraveling and surrendering four unanswered tallies to lose the contest. Despite scoring early in the third and compiling a four-goal lead, Boston still allowed Buffalo to stay in the game, giving up yet another pair of goals in the third.  

Buffalo has outscored Boston 6-2 in the third period throughout the first two games of this series. For the season as a whole, they’ve outscored the Bruins 12-5 in the third period.

It’s not hyperbole to say this series could very well be decided by how each team fares over the final 20 minutes. If the Bruins can hold serve and at least match Buffalo’s output in the third period, it could be the key to them taking this series.