Sabres are on the verge of a long-awaited series win, and the Ducks are too

The Buffalo Sabres have shed the burden of a 14-year absence from the Stanley Cup playoffs that set a dubious NHL record and surged toward their next big thing. Beat the Boston Bruins at home in Game 5 on Tuesday, and the Sabres will skate in the second round for the first time since 2007. “You can expect this to be the hardest game that we’re going to have to play short-term here, because they're in the nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain category,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, whose f...

By DAVE CAMPBELL