Buffalo Finally Broke Through: Sabres Win First Playoff Series Since 2007

The Buffalo Sabres did something they haven't done in 19 years on Friday night. They won a playoff series. In Game 6 at TD Garden, the Sabres steamrolled the Boston Bruins 4-1, advancing to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2007 and ending one of the longest droughts in hockey.

Buffalo came out firing from the opening puck drop. Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson both scored in the first period to stake the Sabres to a 2-0 lead they never surrendered. Zach Benson and Josh Norris added insurance goals in the third to seal it. The Sabres won all three games they played in Boston, which tells you everything about how dominant they were when it mattered most.

The Sabres' Balanced Attack

This wasn't a one-man show. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each tallied two assists, spreading the wealth across the lineup. Alex Lyon was sharp in net with 25 saves, keeping the Bruins at bay when Boston pushed back. David Pastrnak scored the lone goal for the B's, but it wasn't nearly enough. Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves in a losing effort, but the damage was already done after that brutal first period.

The West Also Got Moving

Out in Salt Lake City, the Vegas Golden Knights made quick work of Utah in Game 6 to clinch their first-round series. Mitch Marner put on a clinic with two goals and an assist, notching his sixth career three-point playoff game. Brett Howden scored for the third straight game as Vegas advanced to the second round for the sixth time in franchise history. Carter Hart stopped 22 shots for the Knights, who'll face Anaheim in the Western Conference semifinals. Kailer Yamamoto scored for Utah, but Karel Vejmelka's 21 saves couldn't stop the bleeding for a franchise playing its first playoff series since relocating from Arizona in April 2024.

Tampa Forces a Decider

In the East, Tampa Bay stayed alive with a 1-0 overtime thriller against Montreal. Gage Goncalves buried a loose puck at 9:03 of OT for his first career playoff overtime winner, forcing a Game 7 on Sunday in Tampa. Andrei Vasilevskiy delivered his best performance of the series with 30 saves and his eighth career playoff shutout. Jakub Dobes was fantastic in the Montreal net too with 32 saves, but couldn't get his team across the finish line.

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