BUFFALO – When Sabres center Josh Dunne learned he would suit up for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he said he had to pinch himself.
After the Sabres beefed up their forward depth before the trade deadline, Dunne, 27, mostly served as an extra, sitting out 17 of the final 21 regular-season games as a healthy scratch.
But with center Sam Carrick injured (left arm) and the heavy Boston Bruins the Sabres’ first-round opponent, coach Lindy Ruff utilized the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Dunne for Sunday’s opener, a thrilling 4-3 win.
“It’s so exciting,” Dunne said this morning of hearing he would make his postseason debut. “It’s a dream come true to play in the playoffs.”
Dunne said he had never played in a louder building.
“The crowd was so electric,” said Dunne, who’s expected to play tonight in Game 2 at KeyBank Center.
Dunne, who played 34-regular season games, has been pivoting the fourth line between Jordan Greenway (6-foot-6, 231 pounds) and Beck Malenstyn (6-foot-3, 209 pounds).
Late in the regular season, Tyson Kozak (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) often centered Greenway and Malenstyn.
On Sunday, the Dunne and his linemates showcased their grit in limited action, combining for eight hits while drawing a penalty and generating time in the Boston zone.
The trio’s 77.8 percent Corsi For ranked first among Buffalo’s forward lines, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
“I thought they had a couple of good net-front opportunities,” Ruff said. “It was a game where we knew we would have to dump a lot of pucks in because they were stacking the line. They did a good job of getting pucks back and didn’t get rewarded for it.
“But overall their physicality and the fact that they got to pucks and hunted pucks was something I thought was going to be one of their strengths.”
Dunne said he and his wingers understand their identity.
“Two big bodies that I’m playing with that are really strong pucks and really grind people down,” he said. “So they did a great job, and we were allowed to get some cycle going and start to create some chances.”
In other news, the Sabres are expected to utilize the same lineup for Game 2, meaning goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will likely start.
Ruff expects the Bruins to be desperate tonight.
“No team wants to go down 2-0,” he said.
Goalie Colten Ellis, who has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury, participated in this morning’s pregame skate.
We need Ostlund back.