Sabres Stun Bruins with Late Rally in Game 1

Breanna McNeill
Apr 20
3 min read

Photo Credit: Buffalo Sabres Multimedia Photo Galleries

Buffalo 4, Boston 3 – Sunday, April 19, 2026 | KeyBank Center

Eastern Conference First Round, Game 1

Fifteen years of waiting. Ten minutes of magic. And nearly a heist by Jeremy Swayman.

The Buffalo Sabres ended the longest active playoff drought in NHL history in the most improbable way possible, erupting for three goals in a span of 4:34 late in the third period to steal a 4-3 Game 1 win over the Boston Bruins at a deafening KeyBank Center. But for anyone who watched the first forty minutes, "steal" is exactly the right word. The Sabres dominated this game from the opening faceoff; they just didn't have the scoreboard to show it.

How It Happened

Buffalo outshot Boston 27-13 and controlled nearly every phase of play through two periods. The problem was at the other end. Swayman stood on his head, doing everything Boston's coaching staff hoped he would and then some.

The Sabres generated chance after chance and came away empty. Worse, their power play went 0-for-4 on the night, extending a stunning skid to 0-for-24 in the month of April.

At the other end, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was quietly keeping Buffalo's night alive. Boston didn't generate much volume, but what it did generate was high-danger: Luukkonen stopped three breakaway attempts, including two from superstar David Pastrnak.

Morgan Geekie opened the scoring at 10:52 of the first, skating into a loose puck that rebounded off of Rasmus Dahlin’s initial block and beat Luukkonen glove side. Then just 1:08 into the third, Elias Lindholm buried an insurance marker off feeds from Geekie and Pastrnak.

The second goal seemingly sucked the wind out of the sails of every fan and player in the building. All of the Sabres’ edge vanished – the team that had dominated forty minutes suddenly looked like the team that hadn't played a playoff game since 2011.

Then, with less than eight minutes left in regulation. Tage Thompson took over.

He wrapped the puck around the net before Swayman could hug his post, ending Buffalo's 15-year playoff goal drought and igniting the arena. From that moment, it was all Sabres again – the way the first forty minutes had looked. Just under four minutes later, Thompson struck again to tie it. Then 54 seconds later, Mattias Samuelsson gave Buffalo its first lead of the series. Sending the KeyBank Center and Sabres fans all around the world into an absolute frenzy. Three goals in 4:34.

Alex Tuch added an empty-netter to make it 4-2. Unfortunately, Pastrnak would score with just six seconds left, but the game was already sealed.

Key Performances:

Tage Thompson (BUF) – Two goals and an assist in his playoff debut. He became just the second Sabre ever to record three points in a postseason debut, joining Pierre Turgeon. His first goal was Buffalo's first playoff goal since Brad Boyes scored in Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF) – 17 saves in his playoff debut, but the raw number undersells him. Three breakaway stops to keep the game within reach while Buffalo's power play was spinning its wheels.

Mattias Samuelsson (BUF) – The eventual game-winner, plus a punishing night physically as part of the Sabres' 52-hit effort.

Alex Tuch (BUF) – Led all skaters with 10 hits and capped the comeback with an empty-net goal.

By the Numbers:

38-20 – Sabres' shot advantage over the full 60 minutes
0-for-4 power play
3 breakaway saves by Luukkonen, including two on Pastrnak
52 hits for the Sabres – a season high
4:34 – time elapsed between Buffalo's first and third goals
8th team in NHL playoff history to win in regulation after trailing by multiple goals in the final 10 minutes of the third
2nd multi-goal third-period comeback in Sabres franchise history, the last came in Game 4 of the 1993 Division Semifinals, also against Boston

What It Means

Buffalo now leads the series 1-0, but the tape tells a more complicated story than the banner. The Sabres were the better team for most of the night and still needed a late miracle because of Swayman and a power play that has now failed 24 consecutive times in April. Clean up the special teams, and there's no comeback needed in Game 2. And they need to feed off the KeyBank crowd from puck drop, not wait until the building erupts in the third to find another gear. The energy in that arena is as much a weapon as anything on the ice, and the Sabres have to use it for the full 60 minutes.