Sabres coach Lindy Ruff hints at home distractions amid Canadiens series

The Buffalo Sabres are on the brink of elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sabres lost game five of the series to the Montreal Canadiens. It was the fifth time in the playoffs the Sabres have lost, and the fourth time at home.Now, head coach Lindy Ruff is speculating as to the issues the Sabres have had at home, according to Brian Koziol of the Buffalo Sabres Radio Network.“Ruff on losing at home in playoffs: ‘the playoffs are a different animal.' Says he doesn't know if family, friends, other distractions are part of it, but he knows they are good on the road and when they come back for Game 7, they will play it like they are on the road,” Koziol posted on X, formerly Twitter.The defense has not been as good at home so far in the playoffs. In the six home games, the Sabres have given up 22 goals. Meanwhile, on the road, in five games, the team has yielded just 12 goals. The same is true on offense. On the road, they have scored 18 goals in five games, but just 15 goals in six games at home.While Ruff knows his team is facing elimination, he is confident in the team's ability to respond, according to Justin Alpert of Sabres.com.“I know the pressure they're feeling, I know how they feel, I know how much they care,” Ruff said. “I just feel a day away from the rink, not coming here, is a good thing. We don't need to watch video today. We don't need to talk about the game. We need to move on. There's only one game that counts now, and that is the game tomorrow. All likelihood, we may not even skate tomorrow. We'll save everything we’ve got for tomorrow night. That's my initial thoughts right now.”Game 6 is set for Saturday night in Montreal.The Buffalo Sabres are on the brink of elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sabres lost game five of the series to the Montreal Canadiens. It was the fifth time in the playoffs the Sabres have lost, and the fourth time at home. Now, head coach Lindy Ruff is speculating as to the issues the Sabres have had at home, according to Brian Koziol of the Buffalo Sabres Radio Network.