The Buffalo Sabres proved on Sunday night that it isn’t how you start, but how you finish. Despite dominating the shot clock and the physical play for forty minutes, the Sabres found themselves staring down a two-goal hole early in the third period. However, a massive surge led by Tage Thompson turned a potential frustrating loss into a 4-3 series-opening statement win over the Boston Bruins.
Dominance Without Reward
From the opening draw, the Sabres looked like the faster team. The energy at KeyBank Center was electric, especially after Mattias Samuelsson and Alex Tuch set the tone with heavy hits early in the first. Tuch’s open-ice collision with Viktor Arvidsson signaled that Buffalo was ready for the playoff grind.
Despite outshooting Boston 14-9 in the first period, the Sabres headed to the room down by one. A tough block in the defensive zone took an unlucky bounce right to Morgan Geekie, who beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to give the Bruins the lead.
The second period followed a similar script. Buffalo pushed the pace and peppered Jeremy Swayman with 13 shots while holding Boston to just four. The Sabres’ power play continued to be a source of frustration, failing to convert on three opportunities through two periods.
The Thompson Takeover
The mountain got steeper just over a minute into the third period when Elias Lindholm found a loose puck in the crease to make it 2-0 Boston. For a moment, it felt like one of those nights where the puck just wouldn’t go in.
Then, Tage Thompson took over.
At the 12:02 mark, Thompson showcased his reach by wrapping the puck around the net and past Swayman to cut the lead in half. Less than four minutes later, Thompson struck again, firing a shot home to tie the game and send the Buffalo crowd into a frenzy.
The momentum was a tidal wave at that point. Just 52 seconds after the tying goal, Mattias Samuelsson joined the rush, took a feed from Jack Quinn, and sniped a shot past Swayman to give Buffalo its first lead of the night. Alex Tuch eventually added an empty-netter to cap off a run of four straight Buffalo goals. A late Bruins power-play goal with seven seconds left made the final score closer, but the outcome was already decided.
By The Numbers
The stat sheet reflected the Sabres’ territorial dominance. Buffalo finished with a massive 38-20 shot advantage and out-hit the Bruins 53-38. While the power play went 0-for-4, the even-strength play was more than enough to compensate.
- First Star: Tage Thompson (2G, 1A, 7 SOG)
- Second Star: Mattias Samuelsson (Winning Goal, Physical Presence)
- Third Star: Alex Tuch (1G, 1A, 10 Hits)
The Sabres now hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. They will look to keep the momentum rolling when they host the Bruins for Game 2 on Tuesday night.ruins may find themselves in a quick 2-0 hole before the series shifts to Boston.
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