BUFFALO — The wait is over. The Buffalo Sabres will open the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins, renewing one of the NHL’s most storied rivalries in the first round.
As Atlantic Division champions with 108 points (50-23-8), the Sabres will host Game 1 at KeyBank Center this weekend — either Saturday or Sunday. Game 2 is expected to follow early next week before the series shifts to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4. Games 5 and 7, if necessary, would return to Buffalo, while Boston would host a potential Game 6. The NHL is expected to release the full, finalized schedule in the next 24-48 hours.
This will be the ninth postseason series between the clubs. Boston leads the all-time series 6-2, including wins in the first five meetings. The Sabres’ two victories came in the 1993 first-round sweep capped by Brad May’s “May Day” overtime winner and a six-game second-round triumph in 1999 that sent Buffalo to the Stanley Cup Final. Their most recent clash was 2010, when the Northeast Division-champion Sabres were upset by the Bruins in six games — the last time Buffalo won its division until this spring.
The Bruins punched their ticket with a 4-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night in Boston, finishing 45-27-10 for 100 points and the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. They enter the series as one of the league’s biggest surprises — and as a team that has owned home ice all season.
What the regular-season series told us — and why it barely matters now
Buffalo went 1-1-2 against Boston. The Sabres dropped both October visits to TD Garden (3-1 and 4-3 OT), then split the home games: a convincing 4-1 win on Dec. 27 and a 4-3 overtime loss on March 25 when Pavel Zacha scored the winner. The Bruins outscored the Sabres 12-11 across the four games.
Leading scorers in the season series:
- Buffalo: Tage Thompson (0G-5A), Mattias Samuelsson (1G-3A), Jason Zucker (3G-0A)
- Boston: David Pastrnak (3G-3A), Pavel Zacha (2G-2A), Mark Kastelic (2G-1A)
Those numbers reflect an earlier version of the Sabres, though. The club that clinched the division Monday night in Chicago with a 5-1 win is deeper, faster and far more confident.
Bruins’ biggest strengths — and the areas Buffalo can exploit
Goaltending: Jeremy Swayman has been Boston’s best player. Entering Tuesday he sat at 30-18-4 with a .906 save percentage and 2.76 GAA, ranking near the top of the league in goals saved above expected. He faced Buffalo only once (Oct. 11), while backup Joonas Korpisalo handled the other three games. Expect Swayman every night unless injured. He has routinely bailed out a Bruins defense that allows plenty of shots and chances.
Offensive depth: Boston’s top line of Pastrnak (29G-71A), Morgan Geekie (39G-29A) and Elias Lindholm (17G-31A) is dangerous when rolling. Geekie has heated up again after a long goal drought. Even more consistent has been the second line of Zacha (30G-35A), Casey Mittelstadt (15G-27A) and Viktor Arvidsson (25G-29A). That trio has played together all year, dominates possession and usually draws the toughest matchups. They outscored opponents by nearly 2-to-1 with them on the ice.
Defensemen scoring is thin beyond Charlie McAvoy’s career-high 61 points (11G-50A). Former Sabre Henri Jokiharju (2G-13A in 41 games) could make his playoff debut if needed. A wild card is 2025 seventh-overall pick James Hagens, who made his NHL debut Sunday after a big sophomore season at Boston College; coach Marco Sturm has not guaranteed him regular playoff minutes.
Home/road disparity: This is where home ice matters most. Boston posted a 29-11-1 record at TD Garden (second-best in the NHL) but was only 16-16-9 on the road. The numbers tell the story:
| Split | PTS% | GF/G | GA/G | FOW% | SV% | Games scoring 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | .719 | 3.51 | 2.54 | 54.9 | .909 | 25 |
| Road | .500 | 3.02 | 3.49 | 51.1 | .889 | 16 |
Special teams: Boston’s power play was elite (26.3%) before the Olympic break but has cratered since (16.2%, 11-for-68). Goals have come from the usual suspects — Geekie (12), Zacha (11), Pastrnak (10). Their penalty kill has been inconsistent all year. For Buffalo, getting its own power play back on track will be critical.
Familiar faces in unfamiliar colors
Boston’s roster includes three former Sabres: forward Casey Mittelstadt and defensemen Henri Jokiharju and Nikita Zadorov. That adds a little extra spice — especially Mittelstadt, who has thrived on Boston’s second line all season.
The bottom line
The Sabres enter the series with momentum, home-ice advantage and a roster that has grown into its potential over the second half. The Bruins are dangerous because of Swayman, their depth down the middle and a home building that has been a fortress. But Boston’s road woes and late-season special-teams slide give Buffalo clear targets.
A long wait ends this weekend at KeyBank Center. The ninth chapter of Sabres-Bruins playoff history is about to be written — and the first two pages will be authored right here in Buffalo.
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