The Buffalo Sabres took a commanding 3-1 lead in their playoff series against the Boston Bruins with a decisive 6-1 victory on April 26. The win puts the Sabres one game away from advancing to the second round.
The strong performance by Buffalo was highlighted by a four-goal first period, which set the tone for the rest of the game. Coach Lindy Ruff said, “That first period was the best period we played all year. Puck pressure, scoring opportunities. We moved the puck and got the puck up ice. We didn’t spend much time in our end.”
Peyton Krebs opened scoring early after forcing a turnover with teammates Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, giving Buffalo its first early lead of this series. Krebs said, “I think what’s been holding us back a little bit is just our starts. We wanted to make sure we took it to them right off the hop … We’re at our best when we’re on our toes, just consistently on the forecheck making their D make mistakes, and I think we did that.”
Josh Doan scored his first career playoff goal soon after returning from an open-ice hit, followed by goals from Zach Benson and Bowen Byram as Buffalo outshot Boston 19-5 in the opening frame. Benson commented on their approach: “We just got to our game right away … On pucks, hounding it, and we made them turn it over, and we capitalized on our opportunities.”
Goaltender Alex Lyon nearly secured a shutout before conceding with less than a minute left but finished with 23 saves for his fifth career playoff win. Ruff said of Lyon’s play: “I hate the goal we gave up – as a group, as a team – after how well he’s played … But he’s really confident between the pipes right now.”
Looking ahead to Game 5 at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night where Buffalo can clinch advancement, Byram said: “We’ll all enjoy it and get ready to go again.” Ruff added encouragement for his team: “Go get one more.”
