Sabres stun Bruins
- Buffalo rallied to beat Boston 5–4 in Game 1, scoring four late third‑period goals in a comeback. - Tage Thompson recorded two goals during Buffalo's comeback in the franchise's first playoff game since 2011. - Game 2 is set for April 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with national and regional broadcasters carrying the game. ( )
Buffalo erased a two-goal third-period deficit Sunday night and beat Boston 4-3 in Game 1 at KeyBank Center, stealing the opener of its first playoff series in 15 years. (nhl.com) The Sabres scored four times in the final 7:43, with Tage Thompson getting two of those goals in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut. Buffalo tied the game on goals by Mattias Samuelsson and Thompson before Alex Tuch added an empty-netter. (nhl.com) Boston led 2-0 after goals from Charlie McAvoy and Morgan Geekie, then got a third-period goal from David Pastrnak before the collapse. Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots for the Bruins, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves for Buffalo. (nhl.com) For Buffalo, the game doubled as a return to postseason hockey after missing the playoffs every year since 2011. The Sabres had not played a playoff game since April 26, 2011, when they lost Game 7 to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round. (nhl.com) That gap shaped the scene in Buffalo on April 19: Game 1 was the franchise’s first home playoff game in 15 years, and the late comeback flipped what had been a tense, quiet crowd into a full-building roar. (nhl.com, nhl.com) The result also changed the pressure in the series. Buffalo, listed by the National Hockey League as the Atlantic Division’s top seed, now leads the best-of-seven matchup 1-0 over Boston, the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. (nhl.com) Game 2 is set for Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time in Buffalo. The league’s first-round schedule lists national television coverage in the United States on ESPN2 and regional coverage on MSG-B and NESN. (nhl.com, media.nhl.com) If Game 1 is any guide, Boston heads into Tuesday trying to protect a lead; Buffalo heads in with a 1-0 series edge and a crowd that just watched its longest playoff wait end with a comeback. (nhl.com, nhl.com)
