Buffalo leads Boston 3-1 in playoffs

The Buffalo Sabres routed the Boston Bruins 6-1 in Game 4 on Sunday and moved one win from the second round. (nhl.com) Buffalo scored four times in the first period at TD Garden, and Josh Doan, Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs and Bowen Byram each finished with a goal and an assist. Alex Lyon stopped 23 shots. (nhl.com) Boston got its only goal from Sean Kuraly. Jeremy Swayman allowed six goals on 29 shots before Joonas Korpisalo replaced him in the third period. (nhl.com) The swing in the series started in Boston. Buffalo won Game 3, 3-1, behind Alex Tuch’s go-ahead goal early in the third period and 24 saves from Lyon in his first start of the series. (nhl.com) That gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead, and Game 4 turned the matchup into Boston’s first elimination spot. Bruins coach Marco Sturm called the loss “embarrassing” after Buffalo controlled the opening period. (nhl.com) Buffalo entered the playoffs as the Atlantic Division’s No. 1 seed, while Boston came in as the East’s first wild card. ESPN’s bracket shows the Sabres now leading 3-1, with Game 5 set for Tuesday, April 28, in Buffalo. (espn.com) (nhl.com) The matchup is one of the sharper turns in this year’s bracket. Buffalo had not reached the playoffs since 2011, ending one of the National Hockey League’s longest postseason droughts when it got back this spring. (espn.com) Now the Bruins have to win three straight, starting on the road, to survive. Buffalo gets its first chance to close the series at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night. (espn.com) (nhl.com)