Sabres Prep For Bruins: Playoff Practice Report and Injury Updates

The regular season is officially behind us. Now, the Buffalo Sabres are fully focused on the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The team returned to the ice at LECOM Harborcenter on Thursday for a crucial practice session.

They are currently preparing to host Game 1 of their opening-round series against the Boston Bruins this Sunday at KeyBank Center. Fans are still waiting for the NHL to announce the exact puck drop time. However, the energy around the facility is already reaching a playoff level.

With just a few days to get ready, here is a look at how the team is shaping up.

Luukkonen Stands Alone

Heading into Sunday, the crease firmly belongs to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He was the only active roster goaltender participating on Thursday. Consequently, he is fully expected to start the series opener. Luukkonen wrapped up an impressive regular campaign with 22 wins and a stellar .910 save percentage.

Meanwhile, Colten Ellis took a routine maintenance day. There is also highly encouraging news regarding Alex Lyon. He has been sidelined since early April with a lower-body muscle strain. Fortunately, the veteran netminder is feeling significantly better and might join team practices as early as Friday.

Line Combinations and Power Play Looks

Alex Tuch was notably absent from Thursday’s skate. He was simply taking a maintenance day after grinding through the season finale. As a result, Tanner Pearson stepped up to take his reps on the top line. Lower down the lineup, Josh Dunne skated on the fourth line alongside Beck Malenstyn and Tyson Kozak, filling a role recently held by Jordan Greenway.

Special teams also saw some strategic tweaking. Rasmus Dahlin is back to quarterbacking the top power-play unit. He joins Jason Zucker, Josh Norris, and Tage Thompson. On the second unit, Zach Metsa stood in for the resting Tuch alongside Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, and Bowen Byram.

The Latest Injury Updates

Aside from the goaltending situation, the medical report provides a mixed bag for the forward group heading into the weekend.

Noah Ostlund continues to skate on his own after sustaining an upper-body injury in late March. There is a strong, definite possibility that he could return to the lineup at some point during this opening round.

On the other hand, Sam Carrick remains week-to-week. He severely injured his arm in a fight late last month. Therefore, he is highly unlikely to dress against Boston during this series.

A Brutal Rivalry Renewed

This matchup marks the first postseason meeting between Buffalo and Boston in sixteen years. Historically, these clashes turn into an absolute arms race of physical toughness. The coaching staff fully expects this upcoming series to be just as punishing.

Boston boasts a heavy lineup featuring physical players who love to play with an edge and rack up penalty minutes. However, Buffalo is perfectly equipped to push back. The Sabres thrived in heavy games this year, proving they can wear opponents down. In fact, Beck Malenstyn just set a new franchise single-season record by laying 282 hits.

The playoffs always elevate everyone’s intensity. While this series might not mirror the total bloodbaths of previous decades, the current rosters have more than enough grit to reignite the bad blood.

Stay tuned to SabresHub.com for all the latest playoff coverage, and make sure to follow along on X at @TheSabresHub for real-time updates as we get the final schedule details.

Lindy Ruff Speaks with media after practice