Sabres Host Bruins in NHL Playoffs First Round Game 1

Buffalo looks to take series lead at home against Boston

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:49am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the abstract movements and action of a hockey game between the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, with the teams' colors of blue, gold, black, and gold used throughout the fractured, overlapping shapes and planes.The first-round playoff clash between the Sabres and Bruins promises an intense, high-stakes battle between two historic NHL franchises.Buffalo Today

The Buffalo Sabres will host the Boston Bruins in the opening game of their NHL Playoffs first-round series on Sunday evening at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres enter the postseason as the favorites, having won 50 games during the regular season, while the Bruins qualified as a wild card team.

Why it matters

This matchup between the Sabres and Bruins features two historic NHL franchises with passionate fan bases. The winner of this series will advance to the second round of the playoffs, moving one step closer to the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

The details

The Sabres are led by their dynamic duo of forwards Jack Eichel and Tage Thompson, who combined for over 150 points in the regular season. Boston will counter with their veteran core of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. Goaltending could be the x-factor, with Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Boston's Linus Ullmark both looking to outperform the other.

  • The game is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
  • This is Game 1 of the best-of-seven first-round playoff series between the Sabres and Bruins.

The players

Jack Eichel

The Sabres' star center and leading scorer, who had 45 goals and 65 assists in the regular season.

Tage Thompson

Buffalo's breakout winger, who tallied 47 goals and 58 assists in a career year.

Patrice Bergeron

Boston's veteran two-way center and four-time Selke Trophy winner.

Brad Marchand

The Bruins' agitating winger and perennial 30-goal scorer.

David Pastrnak

Boston's elite goal-scoring winger, who has topped 40 goals in multiple seasons.

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What they’re saying

“We're excited to get this series started. The Bruins are a tough opponent, but we feel confident in our group and our ability to make a deep playoff run.”

— Jack Eichel, Sabres Captain

“It's going to be a battle, but we're ready for the challenge. We've had some good battles with Buffalo over the years, and we expect this series to be no different.”

— Patrice Bergeron, Bruins Captain

What’s next

The winner of Game 1 will look to take a 2-0 series lead when the teams meet again in Buffalo on Tuesday, April 21st.

The takeaway

This first-round matchup between the Sabres and Bruins promises to be an exciting and hard-fought series between two of the NHL's most storied franchises. The outcome could come down to which team's star players and goaltenders can outperform the other.