Buffalo Finally Breaks the Curse: Sabres Win First Playoff Series Since 2007

Nineteen years. That's how long Sabres fans had to wait, and on Friday night in Boston, the drought was officially over. Buffalo absolutely smothered the Bruins 4-1 in Game 6 at TD Garden, clinching their Eastern Conference first-round series and punching a ticket to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2007. This wasn't some nail-biter either. The Sabres came out firing in the first period, and they never looked back.

Two Goals in the First, Game Over

Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson wasted no time building a 2-0 lead before the opening frame was even done. That's the kind of start that puts a team on your back, and Boston never recovered. Zach Benson and Josh Norris each added third-period goals to put this thing completely out of reach. The Sabres won all three games they played in Boston during the series, which tells you everything you need to know about how badly they dominated on the road.

Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin ran the show from the back end, each picking up two assists. Alex Lyon was rock solid in goal with 25 saves, keeping the Bruins honest all night. David Pastrnak scored Boston's lone goal, but it wasn't nearly enough. Jeremy Swayman stopped 22 shots for the Bruins in a losing effort.

The Rest of the Brackets

Vegas made quick work of Utah with a 5-1 Game 6 win in Salt Lake City to advance to the second round. Mitch Marner had himself a night, scoring two goals and picking up an assist for his sixth career three-point playoff game. Brett Howden scored his third goal in as many games as the Golden Knights move on to face Anaheim in the Western Conference semifinals. Carter Hart made 22 saves for Vegas.

Over in the East, Tampa Bay forced a Game 7 against Montreal with a 1-0 overtime thriller. Gage Goncalves buried the game-winner at 9:03 of OT for his first career playoff overtime winner, keeping the Lightning alive. Andrei Vasilevskiy delivered with 30 saves for his eighth career playoff shutout, while Jakub Dobes was lights out for Montreal with 32 stops. Game 7 goes down Sunday in Tampa.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.