The Zacha line
The Bruins tend to match up their second line – Pavel Zacha centers Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson – against opponents’ top players. Even though Buffalo had last change on home ice in Game 1, that was still the most frequent matchup for Thompson, Tuch and Peyton Krebs.
That Boston line allowed just 2.2 goals per 60 minutes at even strength this regular season (Evolving-Hockey). On Sunday, they each finished minus-three in about 12 minutes, as they were on the ice for Thompson’s first goal, Samuelsson’s go-ahead tally and Tuch’s empty netter.
“I just think, physically, we tried to make sure we were winning our battles, getting back to the net front, and we got rewarded for it,” Ruff said.
Thompson and Tuch have the size to outmuscle anyone, and the ultra-competitive Krebs likes his chances in every puck battle. If the Sabres continue having their way with the Zacha trio, it could force Bruins coach Marco Sturm to reevaluate his matchups when the series shifts to Boston.
On Monday, Sturm identified his third line of James Hagens, Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov as his best defensive group in Game 1, but they might not have the size or experience (Khusnutdinov is the oldest at 23) to hold up against Thompson and Co.
The Sabres also had their way with Boston’s top defense pair of Charlie McAvoy and Jonathan Aspirot, outshooting the Bruins 7-2 with those guys deployed at 5-on-5. Thompson and Krebs outworked that pair behind the net to launch the late comeback.
