The thrilling series between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens has come down to a Game 7, the Sabres are pulling out all the stops to keep that luck alive.
With Buffalo hosting the decisive matchup on Monday, the Sabres reportedly spent Sunday night in a hotel in order to simulate a game on the road, per Sportsnet’s Anna Dua. The unconventional move matches with an impressive string of road appearances in the postseason, with Buffalo going 5-1 in away matches throughout the playoffs.
Home-ice advantage has not really been a factor for Buffalo in the postseason: In the first-round series against the Boston Bruins, which Buffalo won 4-2, both of the losses came at home. Against the Canadiens, after winning Game 1, the Sabres have now lost their last two home games in the series, bringing their home playoff record to 2-4 this season.
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On the road, though, has been a different story. In Game 6 in Montreal on Saturday, the Sabres crushed the Habs 8-3, scoring seven unanswered goals. In all, only two games in the Montreal-Buffalo series have ended with the home team winning the game.
In the very superstitious world of hockey, then, it’s not a surprise that the Sabres would try to mimic a road game, giving the team a different mindset heading into the high-stakes matchup at home. (Also, the team announced Sunday that it will be once again selling its beloved Beer Sabre during pregame on Monday, which definitely won’t hurt when it comes building the home environment.)
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff spoke on the flip-flop in home momentum during a press conference on Sunday, addressing a joke he’d made about asking the league to let Montreal host Game 7 instead.
“It didn’t get switched,” Ruff joked on Sunday. “But we’re looking forward to giving our fans our best game.”
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When pressed further about why home ice isn’t the advantage it normally can be, Ruff
“I don’t know the answer. I can try to make one up. I’m sure that they’ve been searching for that,” Ruff said. “We have to feel like we don’t have to entertain, but we have to play with a lot of pace. And I think sometimes with the home team (there’s) a little bit of entertaining, and all of a sudden you give some pucks up.”
Generally speaking, though, several NHL teams are struggling to win at home — which Ruff says makes him “feel better.”
“I think it sums up the parity, that teams aren’t intimidated going into other team’s building(s),” he said.
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