The Buffalo Sabres snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in their long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
After storming back from a 2-0 third-period deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3 in Sunday’s Eastern Conference first-round series opener, the host Sabres look to take full command with another victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Tage Thompson scored twice in a span of 3:42 to tie the game, and Mattias Samuelsson netted the go-ahead goal 52 seconds later to lift Buffalo to its first playoff win since 2011, sending a raucous home crowd into a frenzy.
“This team doesn’t quit. They don’t give up,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Because we were garnering a lot of the offensive-zone play, it was just whether we could break them down and get that good chance. … I just felt that we finally got them to a place where we created the turnovers that we needed.”
Thompson has been Buffalo’s leading goal scorer in five straight seasons, including his second straight and third-ever 40-goal campaign in 2025-26.
“We always talk about, ‘Dogs have to be dogs,’ and (Thompson) showed up and led the team,” captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “That was special.”
The 6-foot-6 Thompson is one of 11 Sabres players embarking on their first playoff run. That group also includes goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 17 saves while his team posted a 38-20 shots advantage.
Alex Tuch, whose empty-net goal stood as the eventual game-winner, was the only Sabre with past playoff experience to record a point in the series opener.
“I told them right after the game, ‘You want experience? You’ve got it now,'” Ruff said. “I mean, what an experience. If you’re going to say ‘This was my first playoff game,’ you’ve got a great story to tell.”
Before the Buffalo blitz, the Bruins were right where they wanted to be in their first playoff game after a one-year absence.
Morgan Geekie scored the opening goal in the first period before Elias Lindholm made it a 2-0 game just 1:08 into the third, but two mistakes in their own zone changed the game for good.
“I thought we were in the perfect spot,” first-year coach Marco Sturm said. “We pretty much made two mistakes to let them tie up the game, and then, obviously, with the crowd behind them, they got some life, and all of a sudden, the game is done.”
Linemates Geekie and David Pastrnak each had a goal and two assists.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Swayman was standing tall, stopping all 27 shots he faced through two periods and finishing with 34 saves.
“He made a lot of big stops for us, and there’s nothing more we can ask for,” Geekie said. “We’ve got to find a way to lower the quality chances that he’s seeing and kind of just take care of our own end a little better.”
As Geekie put it, the final result leaves the Bruins “behind the eight ball” in the series, but it is a best-of-seven series for a reason.
“It’s a tough lesson to learn, but there’s a lot of hockey left to play,” defenseman Hampus Lindholm said.
“The will is there. Guys blocking shots, guys battling hard … most of the nights, you’re going to win more games than you will lose,” Pastrnak added.
After Tuesday, the scene will shift to Boston for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. While the playoffs are a different animal, the Bruins’ 29 home-ice victories during the regular season were tied for the most in the league.
