The Buffalo Sabres have punched their ticket to the second round of the NHL playoffs, but their power play is raising eyebrows for all the wrong reasons. After dispatching the Boston Bruins in six games, the Sabres now face a glaring issue: a man advantage that looked more like a man disadvantage.

Captain Rasmus Dahlin isn't sugarcoating it. "I don't think it's a concern, but we definitely have to get better," he said Sunday, acknowledging that his team's power-play unit posted one of the worst conversion rates in an NHL playoff series over the last 50 years. "We need a couple more goals. To be able to win series down the stretch, you need a good power play. We're aware of it, and we're working on it."

The numbers are stark. Buffalo converted just 1 of 24 power-play opportunities against Boston, a measly 4.2% success rate. According to Sportradar, that ranks tied for 865th out of 897 teams with 20 or more chances in a playoff series since 1978—a statistic that would make any coach cringe. To make matters worse, the Sabres went 0 for 22 on the power play over their final seven regular-season games.

But here's the good news: they're still alive. With a few days to reset before hosting Game 1 of the second round on Wednesday—against either Tampa Bay or Montreal—Buffalo has a chance to hit the reset button. Head coach Lindy Ruff is taking the long view. "I look at it right now as everybody's power play going into round two is just wipe it clean and start again," Ruff said. "Stay with the process and something will go."

Ruff sees signs of progress. He points to Josh Doan's goal in Game 4—scored just 2 seconds after a too-many-men penalty expired—as a near-miss that counts in spirit, if not on the scoresheet. Dahlin himself scored Buffalo's lone official power-play goal in a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 5, offering a glimmer of what this unit can do when it clicks.

Injuries haven't helped. Forwards Josh Norris (upper body, missed Games 3-5) and Noah Ostlund (lower left leg, sidelined indefinitely) have disrupted continuity at a critical time. Add in the team's youth—Buffalo is making its first playoff appearance in 15 years, with only 11 players boasting past postseason experience—and you have a recipe for growing pains.

"We're still a young team learning on the fly," Ruff added. "But the playoffs are about adjustments, and we're confident we can find our rhythm." For Sabres fans, that rhythm can't come soon enough. The power play may be sputtering now, but with a clean slate and a deep run ahead, Buffalo has every chance to turn this weakness into a strength.