Sabres First Round Playoff Schedule Set

The match-ups in the first round of the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference playoffs were determined following games on Saturday.  For the Buffalo Sabres it means a best of seven meeting with the Philadelphia Flyers.  The first two games will be played in Philadelphia on Thursday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 5 pm with Games Three and Four played in Buffalo.  The Sabres will host the Flyers on Monday, April 18th at 7 pm and Wednesday, April 20th at 7:30 pm.  If necessary, Game Five is back in Philadelphia on Good Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 pm with Game Six in Buffalo on Easter Sunday at 3 pm and Game Seven in Philadelphia on Tuesday, April 26th. 

The Flyers finished second in the conference standings while the Sabres finished seventh, but these are two teams going in opposite directions.  The Sabres have played well in the second half of the season while the Flyers have struggled.  The Flyers have gone 8-8-7 in their last 23 games and just barely held off Pittsburgh for the division title while the Sabres have been the hottest team in the NHL since January 1st going 28-11-6.  The Sabres beat the Flyers 4 to 3 in overtime on Friday night.

Other first round Eastern Conference matchups have Boston against Montreal, Washington will meet the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh takes on Tampa Bay.