Sabres Stun Bruins with Comeback Victory in Game 1

Buffalo scores four unanswered goals in the final eight minutes to earn first playoff win since 2011.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 3:20am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting the intense final minutes of the Sabres-Bruins playoff game, with sharp geometric shapes and planes of blue, gold, and black representing the action on the ice.The Sabres' stunning comeback victory over the Bruins in Game 1 showcases the team's resilience and ability to overcome late deficits.Boston Today

The Buffalo Sabres scored four unanswered goals in the final eight minutes of the third period to rally past the Boston Bruins 4-3 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Tage Thompson scored two late goals to tie the game, before Mattias Samuelsson and Alex Tuch added the go-ahead and insurance goals to give Buffalo its first postseason victory since 2011.

Why it matters

The Sabres' comeback win over the Bruins marks a significant milestone for the franchise, which is making its first playoff appearance in 15 years. The thrilling victory showcases the team's resilience and ability to overcome a late deficit, providing hope that Buffalo can make a deep postseason run after years of struggles.

The details

The Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third period on goals from Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm. But the Sabres stormed back, with Thompson scoring twice to tie the game before Samuelsson and Tuch added late goals to complete the comeback. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves for Buffalo, while Jeremy Swayman stopped 34 shots for Boston.

  • The Bruins took a 1-0 lead at 10:52 of the first period.
  • The Bruins made it 2-0 at 1:08 of the third period.
  • Thompson scored to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 12:02 of the third period.
  • Thompson tied the game at 2-2 at 15:44 of the third period.
  • Samuelsson scored the go-ahead goal at 16:36 of the third period.

The players

Tage Thompson

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who scored two goals in the third period to lead the team's comeback.

Mattias Samuelsson

A defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres who scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to give the team a 3-2 lead.

Alex Tuch

A forward for the Buffalo Sabres who scored an empty-net goal to make it 4-2 late in the third period.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres who made 17 saves to earn the win.

Jeremy Swayman

The goaltender for the Boston Bruins who made 34 saves in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“Just a ton of emotion. These are the games that you dream of. So happy to finally be here and to be able to go to battle with these guys. It's been such an unbelievable season, the fact that we got to this point. So proud of this group and it's just a start.”

— Tage Thompson

“We've been in these situations all season long. There was no panic in our room. I thought we had a really good 40 the first two periods. We knew if we stuck with it, one was going to go in. And we just needed one to go in for us, and that was when we knew we'd start to get a couple more.”

— Tage Thompson

“We played a really good hockey game for us. We just couldn't finish it. That's the frustrating point.”

— Marco Sturm, Boston Bruins Head Coach

What’s next

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in Buffalo.

The takeaway

The Sabres' thrilling comeback victory over the Bruins in Game 1 showcases the team's resilience and ability to overcome adversity, providing hope that Buffalo can make a deep playoff run after years of struggles. The win marks a significant milestone for the franchise, which is making its first postseason appearance in 15 years.