Sabres 'blend in well with this city' in blue-collar Buffalo Game 1 win over Canadiens

Sabres 'blend in well with this city' in blue-collar Buffalo Game 1 win over Canadiens originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . BUFFALO, N.

Y. — The drive into downtown Buffalo reveals a city that has been hardened – by long winters, by departed businesses, by the pain of sports teams that have a history of coming up short. At the mecca of this Wednesday night journey, though, was this city’s beloved Sabres.

And this team plays like a group that has felt the pressure — not the playoff pressure, but the kind that comes with being told they aren’t good enough. For so long, the Sabres were coal. These Sabres, through strife and setback and pressure, have become diamonds.

And their sparkling journey isn’t close to done yet. They jumped out to an early lead and raced past the Montreal Canadiens , 4-2, to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was the most complete home game they’ve played in this postseason.