Milan Lucic just handed Lindy Ruff and the Sabres a fresh playoff shove by picking Buffalo over Marco Sturm's Bruins in 6 games.

That call hits harder because Lucic still carries Bruins history with him.

When a name that big leans Buffalo, Boston fans don't hear a harmless prediction.

They hear one of their own picking the other bench.

And this isn't some soft underdog swing.

Buffalo finished 50-23-9 with 109 points, so Lucic isn't chasing noise.

He's backing the team that owned its season and earned home ice.

Boston still put together a strong year at 45-27-10, and the Bruins closed on a 2-game win streak.

That's what makes Lucic's pick sting a little more in that market.

Take a look at the clip:

The Sabres also bring more weight into this matchup than old narratives.

Their +47 goal differential says this group didn't just sneak in.

They pushed their way into a real playoff spot.

Boston's +22 differential is solid, but it doesn't carry the same punch.

Lucic's choice reads like a bet that Buffalo's pace and pressure are built better for this series.

Milan Lucic’s playoff pick is bad news for Bruins fans

That's the part Bruins fans won't shrug off.

Lucic isn't just another former player tossing out a bracket.

He's tied to a version of Boston hockey that still means something in that city.

So when he picks the Sabres in 6, it lands like a public lean away from the room, the jersey, and the standard he used to represent.

Fair or not, that's how playoff talk gets heard.

Buffalo also enters with the better recent push at 6-3-1 over its last 10.

Boston went 5-3-2, which is steady, though not as sharp.

Ruff has a club that looks heavier, faster, and a lot less fragile than past Sabres teams.

Sturm's Bruins still have enough structure to drag this thing deep, but Lucic clearly sees the edge on the Buffalo side.

That's why this prediction matters.

It adds tension to a series that already had plenty of history, and it gives Buffalo one more reason to believe a former Bruins force just turned on Boston at puck drop.