BOSTON — The Buffalo Sabres transfer on.
The Sabres received a playoff collection for the primary time since 2007 by dispatching the Boston Bruins in six video games. The Sabres claimed a 4-1 Sport 6 win on Friday at TD Backyard by pumping two first-period pucks previous Jeremy Swayman and including a Zach Benson backbreaker within the third interval. Josh Norris iced the sport with an empty web aim.
The Sabres will play both the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning in Spherical 2. Sport 7 between the Canadiens and Lightning is Sunday.
“I believe Half A is attending to the playoffs,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff mentioned. “Half B is attempting to have success when you get there. We talked about how arduous this collection was going to be and what a problem it was going to be to take out a great staff. Boston’s a great staff. After which to do it on the highway with a staff that had performed so effectively at house, one of many higher house data within the league, I believed our guys dug in and gave us a heck of a sport tonight.”
The Sabres, up 2-1 after 40 minutes, scored the decisive aim after Josh Doan outhustled David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy for a puck deep within the Bruins’ finish. After Doan received the puck, he discovered an unmarked Benson in entrance.
“It simply can’t occur,” mentioned Bruins coach Marco Sturm. “You have got an O-zone faceoff, and it ended up in your web. Identical to that. It’s very unlucky, as a result of I felt like we had just a little push.”
Identical to in Sport 4, the Bruins folded within the first interval in Sport 6. This time, it was a case of the Sabres making performs as an alternative of the Bruins giving up the puck. On the primary aim, Jonathan Aspirot had Tage Thompson marked. Identical for McAvoy on Alex Tuch.
However Rasmus Dahlin has the expertise to be a difference-making offensive catalyst. By stepping up into the offensive zone and receiving Thompson’s move, Dahlin separated from Pavel Zacha. Dahlin then blew by way of Aspirot’s stick test to create a two-on-one down low. McAvoy, who was masking Tuch, had no alternative however to interact Dahlin. This left Tuch open on the far put up.
On Buffalo’s second aim, Thompson (6 toes 6) and Tuch (6 toes 4) set a double display screen on Swayman. The goalie had no shot at choosing up Mattias Samuelsson’s launch from the purpose.
In the meantime, Alex Lyon made a game-changing save on Casey Mittelstadt’s partial breakaway when the Sabres held a 1-0 lead midway by way of the primary.
After ending a 14-year playoff drought, the Sabres have now validated themselves as greater than only a playoff staff. The theme in Buffalo’s dressing room after the sport was that that is simply the beginning of what they need to accomplish.
“Whenever you get a style of successful, you simply get hungrier and hungrier,” Thompson mentioned. “That is one other stepping stone, one other nice achievement. However there’s nonetheless extra forward. Our MO all yr has been to remain even keel. We’re going to take pleasure in what we achieved tonight, however there’s nonetheless extra to be performed. That’s thrilling.”
For the Bruins, the loss ends a season the place they made a 24-point turnaround after ending with the fifth-worst document in 2024-25.
“The primary expectation coming into the season is to make the playoffs. We did it,” mentioned Pastrnak. “Sadly, simply run into Buffalo.”
Josh Doan’s large second
Doan made the play of the sport within the third interval, outskating two Bruins to a unfastened puck within the offensive zone. He received the battle for the puck after which made an ideal move to Benson whereas taking a excessive hit from McAvoy. The move made it by way of, and Benson completed the play with a aim to place the Sabres up 3-1 within the third interval. Doan has been a dream acquisition for the Sabres due to the power he constantly brings. Halfway by way of the third interval in Sport 6, Doan was main the Sabres with seven shot makes an attempt and three particular person high-danger probabilities. He additionally had two hits and two takeaways at that time. He does a little bit of all the pieces for the Sabres and made the most important play of their season Friday evening.
Alex Lyon locked in once more
Lyon stopped Mittelstadt on a clear break halfway by way of the primary interval to maintain the rating 1-0. After which after the Sabres went up 2-0, Lyon made one other point-blank cease on Elias Lindholm in entrance of the online. That allowed the Sabres to maintain the 2-0 lead heading into the primary intermission. The Bruins finally received on the board, however Lyon got here up large early within the third interval, too. The Bruins outshot the Sabres 10-2 within the first half of the third interval, however the Sabres ended up getting the interval’s first aim as a result of Lyon was locked in. The collection modified when Lyon took over Buffalo’s crease in Sport 3. And he saved a few of his greatest saves for Sport 6.
Alex Tuch a distinction maker for Buffalo
Tuch was a distinction maker for the Sabres. He scored the primary aim and was additionally Buffalo’s most impactful two-way ahead. By way of two durations, Tuch had already logged 14:57 of ice time, and the Sabres have been outscoring the Bruins 2-0 throughout his five-on-five minutes. He got here into the sport main the Sabres with 6 factors. He added to that whole together with his aim. The pending unrestricted free agent has already proven up in a giant manner for the Sabres this postseason. As he mentioned forward of Sport 6, Tuch has been craving an opportunity to play in a majority of these video games. And he measured up.
“I like it,” Tuch mentioned. “That is what I consider after I consider hockey. There’s nothing higher, truthfully. I believe the entire world is aware of it, too. Everyone seems to be giving all the pieces they’ve, sacrificing their our bodies, minds, all the pieces. You’re simply going on the market and givin’ ’er.”
Nikita Zadorov performed with torn MCL
Nikita Zadorov tore the MCL in his proper knee in Sport 3. The Bruins defenseman missed roughly 5 minutes of Sport 3 earlier than returning. He had been sporting a sleeve on his proper leg.
“Totally torn off the bone,” Zadorov mentioned.
When wholesome, Zadorov is without doubt one of the NHL’s quickest defensemen. On Nov. 21, 2025, Zadorov hit a most velocity of 23.84 mph. Solely Jake Sanderson (24.37 mph) hit the next velocity this season.
Zadorov performed 21:52 in Sport 6.
Michael Kesselring replaces Logan Stanley in Sabres’ lineup
Logan Stanley got here down with an sickness this week. He took half in warmups however couldn’t play. Michael Kesselring, who hadn’t performed within the playoffs and had performed solely two video games since March 10, took his spot within the lineup. Kesselring grew up in Nashua, N.H., and performed faculty hockey at Northeastern, so making his playoff debut in Boston was a giant second for him. However he didn’t find yourself getting a ton of ice time. Stanley’s absence compelled the Sabres to lean on their prime 4 defensemen for a heavy dose of minutes. By the tip of the second interval, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bowen Byram and Owen Energy have been all on tempo for greater than 21 minutes of ice time. Conor Timmins and Kesselring rotated in with these guys to maintain them contemporary, however the Sabres relied on their greatest gamers to eat a ton of minutes, and that labored to their benefit.
Viktor Arvidsson’s future unknown
Viktor Arvidsson might have performed his remaining sport as a Bruin. The No. 2 proper wing is within the remaining yr of his contract.
Arvidsson, injured in Sport 4, skated on his personal earlier than Sport 6. Whether or not he might have performed in Sport 7 is unknown.
Arvidsson, 33, was an excellent match, particularly at five-on-five. He needs to be effectively regarded in unrestricted free company, given the shallow depth of accessible forwards.