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It's deja vu all over again for the Sabres, so now what? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It feels a little weird to say in the context of playoff hockey, but these Buffalo Sabres have indeed been here before.
Not in the second round, per se, but in this scenario that they now face against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
In the first round against the Boston Bruins, the Sabres had a scintillating Game 1 win before a less-than-impressive Game 2 loss.
Welcome to the same narrative against the Habs -- big Game 1 win, lopsided Game 2 loss.
So now the question becomes: Can they respond again?
MORE: Canadiens push aside top line problem
It's not ideal to go on the road after giving up the momentum in a Game 2 win for the visiting team that gets to head back home riding high.
In the first series, the Sabres rebounded to claim two consecutive games in Boston.
Can they do the same up north?
This will be the biggest test this Buffalo team has faced all season. The Habs are good, and they haven't even gotten their top line going yet. To be fair, the Sabres' top line hasn't done much of anything, either.
Someone's top dogs are going to have to join the party at some point, and that could be the team that finds the edge.
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But broadly, psychologically, the Sabres have a lot of work to do. The solace they can take is the familiarity with this setup.
In round one, they seemed to play with a freedom on the road, and it helped them upend the Bruins.
They'll have to find that again in front of a raucous Montreal crowd. If they can, this storybook season can continue.
If the Habs defend home ice, though, Buffalo is in trouble.
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