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Legendary coach blames bizarre NHL playoff trend for Sabres-Canadiens roller coaster
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- Legendary coach blames bizarre NHL playoff trend for Sabres-Canadiens roller coaster
Legendary coach blames bizarre NHL playoff trend for Sabres-Canadiens roller coaster appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Buffalo Sabres looked like a dead team walking when the Montreal Canadiens hit the ice at the Bell Centre on Saturday night for Game 6. The stadium was reaching peak electricity for the team's walkout to Fix You by Coldplay, but captain Rasmus Dahlin quieted the Montreal crowd early with a go-ahead goal. The Canadiens rallied back for three goals on three shots on Alex Lyon , but Buffalo then scored seven unanswered to win 8-3 and send the series to Buffalo for Game 7.
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The Sabres are now 5-1 on the road in the playoffs, taking some crucial victories in tough environments like the Bell Center and TD Garden to get one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. The road team is also 4-2 in this series, but the Sabres should have home-ice advantage in Game 7, according to New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer via The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
"Easier to play on the road in the playoffs," DeBoer told LeBrun via text message. "Less pressure. Tend to play a simpler game, which is everything in the playoffs. Always said home ice doesn't matter and isn't important until Game 7. Then I feel it's a huge advantage to be at home!"
Ruff joked post-game that he'd like to play Game 7 at the Bell Center, which was a tongue-in-cheek nod at the team's success on the road. Plenty of home teams before them have stayed in a hotel prior to games as big as this one to get away from the distractions that can come from living at home with families, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Buffalo adopt a similar strategy before Monday's game.
Related: Maple Leafs rumors: Toronto interested in $39 million Rangers center
