Ruff Welcomes Sabres’ Elimination Test in Familiar Spot

Lindy Ruff is treating another elimination game like the kind of pressure cooker he has lived in for years. The Sabres are staring at the edge, and Ruff is leaning into the challenge instead of dressing it up as anything softer than it is. That is the part casual fans miss about this league: the veterans know exactly how thin the air gets when the season is on the line, and Ruff is making sure Buffalo feels that weight without flinching.