Sabres Unfazed by Bruins Coach's 'Bigger, Stronger' Claim

Buffalo brushes off Boston's physical advantage ahead of playoff series opener

Apr. 18, 2026 at 10:48pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, with the players and action broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes and planes in navy blue, gold, and black colors.The Sabres look to overcome the Bruins' physical edge with their own speed and strategy in the first-round playoff clash.Boston Today

As the Buffalo Sabres prepare to face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Bruins coach Marco Sturm touted his team's size and physicality advantage. However, the Sabres are not fazed by Sturm's comments, with coach Lindy Ruff and forward Josh Doan saying they trust their own game plan and speed, and will let the series play out on the ice.

Why it matters

The Sabres are making their first playoff appearance in 15 years, while the Bruins are the Atlantic Division's top seed. Sturm's comments about his team's physical edge could provide extra motivation for the upstart Sabres as they look to pull off an upset in the series.

The details

Bruins coach Marco Sturm emphasized that his team is 'bigger, stronger and more physical' than the Sabres, noting Boston's 3-1 season series advantage. However, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff responded by saying he respects his team's speed and style of play, while forward Josh Doan said the Sabres will stick to their game plan and let the series play out on the ice.

  • The Stanley Cup playoffs are currently underway.
  • The Sabres and Bruins will face off in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday.

The players

Marco Sturm

Head coach of the Boston Bruins.

Lindy Ruff

Head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

Josh Doan

Forward for the Buffalo Sabres.

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What they’re saying

“You know, that's his take on his team. I have a lot of respect for what our team has done and how we play, and the speed we play the game, and they've got a good team. They know who they are, and we know who we are.”

— Lindy Ruff, Head coach, Buffalo Sabres

“Yeah, I think it's, obviously, we've all seen it. It is everywhere right now, but at the end of the day, I think our group trusts what we're doing here, and we'll just let that play out throughout the series, and we're gonna stick to our game plan.”

— Josh Doan, Forward, Buffalo Sabres

What’s next

The Sabres and Bruins will face off in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

The takeaway

The Sabres are embracing the 'underdog' mentality against the more experienced and physically imposing Bruins, trusting in their own speed and game plan to pull off the upset in the series. Sturm's comments about Boston's size advantage could provide extra motivation for the hungry Sabres squad.