Buffalo Finally Broke 19 Years of Playoff Misery and the Stanley Cup Is Watching

The Sabres just did something that felt impossible in Buffalo for nearly two decades. Alex Tuch opened Game 6 at 3:25 of the first period, Mattias Samuelsson buried the series winner, and the Sabres locked up their first playoff series victory since 2007. Nineteen years. That's the kind of drought that makes you question if your franchise even knows how to win in May.

But here's what makes this actually wild: Buffalo is the fifth team in NHL history to snap a playoff drought of at least nine years, and only the fourth on that list to actually win a series. The 2017 Oilers (10 seasons out), the 2019 Hurricanes (9 seasons), and the 1988 Devils (9 seasons) all did it before them. Now the Sabres are heading to the Second Round to face either Tampa Bay or Montreal, and nobody in Buffalo can believe it's real.

Tuch's Road Dominance Is Redefining What This Team Can Be

Tuch became the fourth Sabres player since 1995 with three or more road goals in a single playoff series. He sits with Thomas Vanek (2011), Stu Barnes (1999), and Michal Grosek (1998). What matters more: Buffalo won its first three road games of a postseason for only the second time in franchise history, the other being way back in 1983.

Samuelsson's game winner made him the second defenseman in Sabres history to score a series-clinching goal, following Alexei Zhitnik in 1999. And here's the kicker: his father, Kjell, had one career goal in a potential series-clinching game back in 1996 with Philadelphia. The apple doesn't fall far.

Vegas Is Already Looking Ahead, and the Ducks Are Waiting

While Buffalo was celebrating, Mitch Marner put on a clinic for the Golden Knights. Three points in a clinching game tied the franchise record, and Vegas punched its ticket to face Anaheim in the Second Round. This is Vegas' first-ever playoff meeting against the Ducks, which means two Pacific Division rivals who were among only three teams with 10 or more third-period comeback wins this season are about to face off. Marner now has 7 points through six career playoff games with Vegas, the fourth player to reach that mark in his first six games with the franchise.

Tampa Bay Lives to Play Another Day

Gage Goncalves scored at 9:03 of overtime to force the first Game 7 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves and posted his second shutout in an elimination game, including a must-see cross-crease save in the second period. The Lightning and Canadiens play Sunday at Benchmark International Arena for everything.

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