The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway starting Saturday afternoon. But, for the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres, the wait will be a little bit longer.
Game 1 comes on Sunday evening, and with it comes a lot of added pressure from all sides of the equation.
The vibe from the Bruins' practices has been nothing short of a dog licking their chops, ready to pounce. The group is just full of pure excitement and a confidence they can go on a deep run.
Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm only fanned those flames on Friday, firing off a warning shot to Buffalo and the world, declaring his team superior to Buffalo.
Sturm even went in on Buffalo Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff.
"In the past, Lindy [Ruff] wasn't really a big matchup guy," Sturm said. "He did his thing, so we'll see where it goes. Maybe he does it differently in the playoffs. But we don't really care."
Then, Sturm pushed all his chips to the center and went all-in with his comments.
"We're excited," Sturm told reporters, including Bridgette Proulx.
"We are bigger, stronger, we are more physical. We just have to be smart. But, we're going to go after them."
It's one hell of a statement from Sturm, rifling off a clear warning shot.
There's no other way to interpret it than pure confidence oozing out from him, with the rookie head coach eager to get going.
The Bruins will have their hands full, even with Sturm's confidence. Buffalo's an elite group, one that does have a good bit of size to them as well.
The series should be a physical war, with everything hard to come by, especially in the big moments.
Clearly, the Bruins feel ready and confident. It's hard not to be, with how they've played since January, even despite their recent poor form at the tail end of the season.