Bruins Face Sabres in Eastern Conference First Round Matchup

The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres meet in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The series opens in Buffalo, after the Sabres secured the Atlantic Division title.

How they got here

Boston clinched the East’s first wild-card spot with a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The Bruins finished the regular season 45-27-10. Buffalo closed at 50-23-8 and returned to the postseason for the first time since 2010-11.

Bruins: form and leaders

The Bruins made the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 seasons. They missed last year’s postseason and have not advanced beyond the second round since 2019.

David Pastrnak led Boston with 100 points, totaling 29 goals and 71 assists. Morgan Geekie paced the team in goals with 39. In net, Jeremy Swayman posted a 31-18-4 record, a .908 save percentage, a 2.71 goals-against average, and two shutouts in 55 games.

Backup Joonas Korpisalo went 14-9-6 with an .894 save percentage and a 3.15 GAA in 31 appearances. The Bruins enter the series hungry to improve on recent playoff outcomes.

Sabres: resurgence and top performers

Buffalo snapped the longest playoff drought in NHL history by reaching the postseason. The Sabres have not won a playoff series since 2006-07.

Tage Thompson finished with 81 points in 81 games, including a team-high 41 goals. Captain Rasmus Dahlin, a defenseman, contributed 74 points in 77 games with 55 assists. Goaltending was split between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon.

Luukkonen posted a 22-9-3 mark with a .910 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA in 35 games. Lyon added a 20-10-4 record with a .907 save percentage, a 2.77 GAA, and three shutouts in 36 appearances.

Head-to-head and season series

Boston and Buffalo met four times this season. The Bruins won three of those games and outscored the Sabres 12-11.

Pastrnak recorded six points in the season series. Pavel Zacha added four points. On Buffalo’s side, Tage Thompson tallied five assists, and Jason Zucker led the team with three goals.

Korpisalo started three of the matchups, going 2-1-0 with a .908 save percentage. Swayman started one game, allowing one goal on 22 shots. Luukkonen went 1-0-1 with a .907 save percentage in two starts. Lyon was 0-1-1 with an .885 save percentage.

Playoff history between the clubs

This will mark the ninth playoff meeting of these franchises. Boston has won most prior series, with Buffalo victorious in two.

The teams clashed repeatedly in the 1980s and early 1990s. Notable series include Boston wins in 1981-82 and 1982-83, and Buffalo’s sweep in 1992-93. Their most recent postseason matchup came in 2009-10, when the Bruins won in six games.

Outlook

Coaches and players expect a competitive matchup. Boston brings playoff experience and top-end scoring. Buffalo counters with balanced offense and improved goaltending.

As Bruins and Sabres prepare for the Eastern Conference first-round matchup, the stage is set for a compelling opener in Buffalo. Filmogaz.com will follow the series and report developments.