Eastern Matchup: (1) Buffalo vs. (8) NY Islanders
| NY Islanders | Buffalo Sabres | |
| Power Home | 0.423 | 0.554 |
| Power Away | 0.427 | 0.601 |
| Power Total | 0.425 | 0.577 |
| Goals For | 248 | 308 |
| Goals Against | 240 | 242 |
| Diff Per Game | 0.098 | 0.805 |
| PowerPlay | 18.1% (12th) | 17.4% (17th) |
| PenaltyKill | 81.8% (18th) | 81.4% (20th) |
| PP+PK | 99.90% | 98.80% |
Key players for NY Islanders: Ryan Smyth, Alexei Yashin, Rick DiPietro
Key players for Buffalo: Thomas Vanek, Ryan Miller, Chris Drury
Analysis: Considered the most lopsided matchup by almost all the experts, I can’t find that I disagree. The Sabres outscore their opponents by almost a full goal per game, while the Islanders barely managed to score more goals than they allowed over the season. The Islanders also barely squeaked into the playoffs despite playing in a much easier division than the Sabres.
There are a few things to watch for on the Islanders side, however. First, the Sabres have very ordinary special teams this year. While referees typically swallow their whistles in the post season, the power play and penalty kill could be Buffalo’s Achilles’ Heel. The Islanders can’t hope to keep up with the Sabres 5 on 5, so they will have to absolutely dominate special teams play to have a chance.
The other factor to keep a watch for is the return of Rick DiPietro. Should he return then the Islanders could steal a few games. While “Dubie” has played very well of late, it would be quite a stretch to count on him shutting down the powerful Sabres’ offence for long.
The longer this series goes, the more the Islanders will surprise everyone. Brendan Witt and Sean Hill will lead the charge in wearing down the Sabres; look for small scrums, shoving and a few hacks after every single whistle. The Sabres cannot afford to get caught up in a long, physical series against the Islanders if they have hopes of a long run.
Prediction: Sabres in five games