MONTREAL – The Buffalo Sabres experienced this earlier in the postseason. Fresh off an emotional Game 1 win at home, they followed up with a lousy performance, allowing their opponent to tie the series before they hit the road.
Against the Bruins, the Sabres showcased an emphatic response following a tough loss, winning the next two games in Boston and seizing control of the series.
So, what might happen on Sunday and Tuesday against the Canadiens at what promises to be a raucous Bell Centre?
After Wednesday’s 4-2, the Canadiens throttled the Sabres on Friday in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, winning 5-1 at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres struggled so badly that coach Lindy Ruff, who has recently kept his players off the ice the day after games, had them practice 30 minutes on Saturday in Buffalo.
Before they hit the ice, Ruff said they talked about “balancing the emotions of wins and losses” in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Going through this for so many years, sometimes when you’re winning, you don’t ever think you’re going to lose in the playoffs,” he said. “And then when you lose one, you don’t ever think you’re going to win again.
“Same type of emotion we had after Game 2 of the previous series. We knew we had to go play really well in Boston, we did.”
Bouncing back from difficult losses has been one of the Sabres’ greatest strengths over the past five months. They’ve lost three consecutive games just once during that torrid stretch.
“The whole year we’ve answered the call,” Ruff said. “We had a couple stretches after our 10-game winning streak. We played a terrible game (on Jan. 3) in Columbus, and we bounced back with real good hockey. So really just reset, refocus. Let’s take the temperature down a little bit knowing that we can be better.”
The ability to put away games, good or bad, illustrates the Sabres’ maturity. Despite having 14 players participating in the postseason for the first time, they roared back after both losses to the Bruins.
“I think it’s (something) they’re going through for the first time, a lot of them,” Ruff said. “I think they’ll get a handle on it. I think they dealt with it last series. It’s something that we talk about, the highs and lows. You got to stay humble”
The Sabres, winger Alex Tuch said, are also “hungry.”
“(We’re) not content and get a little (ticked) off after games like that,” he said. “We expect a lot of ourselves and each other. Try to be hungrier than we were, a little more urgency because we know what is at stake.”
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Following Friday’s awful zero-of-five performance on the power play, Ruff made his most significant changes to the units all season.
“We’re going to shake it up,” he said. “We feel it’s the right time for it.”
The Sabres have converted just 3 of their 32 chances on the man advantage in the postseason, a ghastly 10.7 percent.
So on Saturday, Ruff moved Zach Benson, Josh Doan and Jack Quinn moved up to the top unit, while Tuch, Josh Norris and Zucker shifted to the second unit.
“Benny’s playing real well,” Ruff said. “He’s making a lot of small-ice plays. We think that can be a factor. We’re looking at Quinner coming off the flank so, yeah, why not?”
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Ruff said Sabres center Tyson Kozak sat out Saturday’s practice for maintenance.
Sam Carrick, who’s expected play during the series, skated in Kozak’s spot alongside Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn.
“Carrick’s available for tomorrow, for sure,” Ruff said.
Carrick, who has missed the last 15 games with a left arm injury, started practicing again on Tuesday.
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Less than a day after Sabres center Tage Thompson posted an ugly minus-4 rating and his goal drought hit a season-long seven games, Tuch said his linemate was “absolutely flying” during Saturday’s practice.
“He’s working on a lot of little things,” he said. “… I didn’t help him out there. I wasn’t at my best out there. I don’t think I really need to speak much on that we all have to do better, we all have to do better.
“He’s hungry, He wants to be better. He’s going to be better for us. He’s done it time and time again.”
Notes: Ruff on the officials coming to the bench on Friday to talk to him after Benson said something to Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes as he skated by: “That’s all stuff that happens within a game. I’m pretty sure Montreal guys skated by our guys, too. I just don’t complain about it as much as they do, probably.” … Ruff, who mixed up some of his lines late in Friday’s loss, went back to his regular trios on Saturday. … Ruff said Malenstyn received stitches on his left hand during Friday’s game.