The Athletic: Sabres vs. Bruins Game 1: Key takeaways as Buffalo rallies in third to stun Boston
The Sabres aren’t just back in the playoffs. They have a 1-0 series lead over the Bruins after a third-period comeback.
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The Sabres scored four goals in the third period to take Game 1. Ben Ludeman / NHLI via Getty Images
Sabres chief operating officer Pete Guelli was standing in the 100 level of KeyBank Center just above the atrium, looking out at the plaza in front of the arena. Two and a half hours before puck drop, thousands of fans had already gathered as Buffalo returned to the Stanley Cup playoffs after 15 long, dark years.
Earlier this season, Guelli said owner Terry Pegula’s goal was to make Buffalo the center of the hockey universe. On Sunday night, it felt like it was as Sabres fans celebrated a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their first-round series.
This is what hockey in Buffalo is supposed to look like. While thousands partied outside, thousands more were inside the atrium waiting for the gates to open. In the streets outside of the arena, Sabres fans took turns
punching a dummy with a Bruins jersey on it. Inside, fans rushed to their seats. Banners were hanging in the 300s section.
“We’re back. Deal with it, America.”
“Better Days Are Here.”
“5,472 days in the making.”
The energy in the building ahead of puck drop was what you’d expect from a fan base that has been starving for playoff hockey. Sandra Jeanneret, the wife of beloved Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret, who died in 2023, banged the drum to start the game, and the crowd was buzzing.
But when the game started, the Bruins managed to slowly suck the energy out of the building. It didn’t happen all at once, but a first-period goal from Morgan Geekie put the Bruins up 1-0. From there, every save Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman made put the home fans more on edge. For the better part of two periods, the Bruins limited the chances and made this a low-event game. An Elias Lindholm goal early in the third period had the crowd stunned.
Then Tage Thompson arrived. Playing in his first career playoff game, Buffalo’s superstar played like one. First, he tucked a goal in from behind the net to get the Sabres back within one with just under eight minutes left. A few minutes later, Thompson scored again when he stripped the puck on the forecheck and beat Swayman from in tight.
The energy was back in Buffalo’s home building, and Mattias Samuelsson completed the comeback with a shot from the point through traffic to put the Sabres ahead. Alex Tuch then added an empty-netter to make it 4-2 before David Pastrnak scored with eight seconds left in the period.
The Sabres controlled possession for much of the game. Through two periods, they outshot the Bruins 27-13 but had nothing to show for it. Finally, they broke through, and the floodgates opened in the third period. Now the Sabres aren’t just back in the playoffs. They have a 1-0 series lead.
“I told them right after the game, ‘You want experience? You’ve got it now,’ ” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “What an experience. If you’re going to say this is your first playoff game, you’ve got a great story to tell.”
Tage Thompson plays the hero
Thompson has been the Sabres’ most prolific scorer for the last few years. The frustration of missing the playoffs has weighed on him. He helped Team USA win a gold medal, and it only further fueled his desire to play in those types of games in the NHL. He showed up in a big way for the Sabres in this game. He finished the game with two goals, an assist and seven shots on net. More importantly, he was a beast on the forecheck in the third period when the Sabres needed him most. Buffalo came into this game without a lot of playoff experience, but one of those players with zero playoff games came through in the toughest spot. That’s a good sign for where the Sabres can go from here.
“We always talk about, ‘Dogs have to be dogs,’ ” Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “And today he showed up and led the team. That was special. We’re gonna need him more.”
Bruins collapse in third period
The Bruins could live with Thompson’s first third-period goal. Thompson made a world-class move to tuck a backhand shot into the net for Buffalo’s first goal.
The Bruins could not live with the two that followed.
Buffalo’s forecheckers overwhelmed Andrew Peeke and Lindholm before their second goal. Thompson took advantage of his teammates’ work to pump the tying goal past Swayman from a high-danger area.
Then, when Hampus Lindholm couldn’t clear the puck, the Sabres came back hard and got another high-quality look from Samuelsson. Swayman was also screened by Jason Zucker.
A two-goal third-period lead should be money in the bank for the Bruins.
“We were in the perfect spot,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “We were exactly where we wanted to play, being in that position, 5-6 minutes left in the game. You could tell they got a little bit frustrated. We made pretty much two mistakes to let them tie up the game. With the crowd behind them, all of a sudden, they’ve got some life. All of a sudden, the game is done.”
Swayman, who made 34 saves, was unshakeable through 40 minutes. But the Sabres slipped three pucks past the ace. They got more forechecking heat down low. The Bruins did not cover the slot as well in the third period.
“We’ve got to find a way to lower the quality of chances he’s seeing,” Geekie said. “Take care of our own end a little better and be a little stronger on the walls in getting pucks out.”
Sabres’ power-play slump continues
The Sabres’ power play entered the postseason on a 0-for-22 slump, and that continued with a 0-for-4 night against the Bruins. They got five scoring chances and six shots on net in their first two power plays, but couldn’t convert. That was the story for the Sabres at even strength early in the game, too. The shots and chances were there at times, but Swayman had too clean a look at the first shots and was sharp with his rebound control.
Buffalo’s streaky power play was an issue all season. Prior to this 0-for-26 stretch, the Sabres had a 6-for-17 streak on the power play. When they’re at their best, they are creating a lot more traffic in front of the net than they did on Sunday.
