BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres, perhaps the NHL's most improved team, took their elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs in stride.
The Boston Bruins, who beat the Sabres 4-2, advance against the Montreal Candadiens. Montreal, the first-place finisher during the regular season in the Adams Divison, beat the Hartford Whalers in six games.
Bob Joyce and Willi Plett scored first-period goals 27 seconds apart to lead the Bruins to a 5-2 victory.
'This is a tremendously improved hockey team,' said Buffalo goalie Tom Barrasso. 'We went from 21st place (with 64 points) to seventh or eighth in the NHL (with 85 points) and I think the guys here deserve a pat on the back for it.
'I don't feel any disgrace. We lost to a good hockey club.'
Mike Foligno echoed those sentiments.
'We have to be proud of each and every player on this club,' he said.
Joyce made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 13:13 of the opening period and Plett tipped in a Randy Burridge pass from the edge of the crease to make it 3-0. Bob Sweeney had opened the scoring for the Bruins 6:28 into the game.
'I though we could have had five or six goals in the first period,' Boston Coach Terry O'Reilly said. 'Barrasso held them in.'
Mikael Andersson cut the Buffalo deficit to 3-1 when he beat Boston goalie Andy Moog 44 seconds into the second period, but Ken Linseman gave Boston a 4-1 lead at 12:19.
Christian Ruuttu made it 4-2 at 11:31 of the third, but Linseman added an empty-net goal for the Bruins with 34 seconds left.
Many observers pointed to Boston's killing of all eight Buffalo power plays as the key. Especially crucial were Buffalo's two power plays in the first five minutes, during which time the Sabres were held without a shot.
'That did it,' O'Reilly said. 'Those were crucial power plays.'
'Our penalty killing was excellent,' Bruin defenseman Gord Kluzak said. 'Those at the beginning were a big lift for us. They set the stage for the game.'
'It sure hurt,' Buffalo Coach Ted Sator said, 'especially since the power play has been our bread and butter all year. But the Bruins played an absolutely airtight road game.'
Sator had nothing but kind words for his team.
'Those guys in there are family to me and from the bottom of my heart I couldn't be prouder of my family,' Sator said. 'We played as hard as we could for as long as we could.
'Sure they're down and dejected but look at the strides they made from Day 1. This team is going to be heard from again.
'I don't think when this series started people in the hockey world gave the Buffalo Sabres much of a chance to do anything.'
Boston Coach Terry O'Reilly also had praise for the Sabres.
'I think man for man in our lockerroom, we have an awful lot more respect for the Buffalo Sabres now than we did at the beginning of the season,' he said.
Foligno said he'd be rooting for the Bruins.
'If it's any consolation I'd like to see them win the cup,' he said, 'because that would make us look that much better.'
