While the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens face off in a do-or-die Game 7 in their first-round matchup on Sunday, the Buffalo Sabres are recovering from their own first-round series. Buffalo eliminated the Boston Bruins in six games to advance. Alex Lyon will be the predominant starter in goal for Buffalo after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggled in the series versus the Bruins. Lyon will be a massive factor and will have to be clutch in their upcoming series against either the Lightning or the Canadiens.

When the Buffalo offense is on fire, they torch opposing defenses and goalies. They did struggle at home, which is likely due to nerves that their own fans may have caused. Before this season, the Sabres had not won a playoff series since 2007. Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch both have kept the Buffalo hype train rolling, and it will be imperative that both play key roles in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals to help the Sabres advance.

The Lightning and Canadiens have been beating each other up during the duration of their series, which culminates in a Game 7. Both teams play similar styles and should set up a great matchup with the Sabres in the second round. In each game of the Tampa Bay and Montreal series, one goal has decided the outcome. Both goalies, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Montreal’s Jakub Dobes, have put on a goaltending clinic and will look to do so depending on which team advances to take on Buffalo.

Brandon Hagel has been electric for the Lightning, recording eight points in the series, tied for the third most out of all players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He will be a key player to watch if Tampa Bay advances. The Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky was a highlight reel in Game 1 when he scored a hat trick, helping propel them to a win. Slafkovsky may lack playoff experience, but he understands how to lead a line offensively and take charge in pivotal moments.

Prediction

The Lightning and Canadiens beat up on each other so much in their first-round series that it will benefit the Sabres in the long run. Regardless of who Tuch and Buffalo take on in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, they continue extending their postseason by emerging victorious in six games.