In one of the few first round openers that went as planned, the Buffalo Sabres rode a first-star performance from Ryan Miller to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Sabres’ keeper made 38 saves on the night, and showed just how valuable his is to Buffalo’s playoff hopes.
Thomas Vanek scored the lone goal of the first period with a shot from the half boards that beat rookie netminder Tuuka Rask. Vanek’s goal was his 6th in his last three games, and if the Austrian winger can stay this hot, the Bruins could be in some serious trouble. Rask made 11 saves to keep the game within reach for his club, and Boston responded by peppering Miller with 24 shots in the 2nd period. Only veteran mark Recchi was able to find the back of the net, wiring a wrister under the bar on one of only 2 Boston powerplays on the night.
Craig Rivet scored the game winner with a slap shot in the 2nd period, and Miller held the fort for the rest of the night, although Boston didn’t help themselves much in the 3rd. Dennis Wideman, Miro Satan and Zdeno Chara all took minor penalties in the last 10 minutes, putting Boston at a serious disadvantage in terms of trying to get the game even.
As expected, the game was a tightly played defensive battle that saw plenty of emotion between the Northeast Division rivals. The Bruins could desperately use the services of Marc Savard, but he will be unavailable to them for the duration of this series, as he is slated for a possible return if Boston can make the 2nd round.