Boston Bruins Face Buffalo Sabres in Round 1 After Dominant Win
- The Boston Bruins will face the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- The Bruins finished the regular season with a record of 45-27-10, entering the playoffs as the No.
- Boston will travel to Buffalo to open the series against the Sabres, who finished as the Atlantic Division champions and the No.
The Boston Bruins will face the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs. Boston secured its postseason berth and the first wild card spot in the East following a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on April 14, 2026.
The Bruins finished the regular season with a record of 45-27-10, entering the playoffs as the No. 7 seed overall. The victory against the Devils was characterized by a dominant first period in which all four goals were scored. Mark Kastelic recorded two goals during the game and forward David Pastrnak earned his 100th point of the season.
Boston will travel to Buffalo to open the series against the Sabres, who finished as the Atlantic Division champions and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 50-23-8. While the NHL has not yet announced the specific date and time for Game 1, the series is expected to begin during the weekend following the regular season conclusion.
Bruins Roster and Performance
The Bruins return to the postseason after missing the playoffs last season, marking their ninth appearance in the last 11 seasons. The team has not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, where they lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games.
Offensively, the Bruins were led by David Pastrnak, who finished the season with 100 points, consisting of 29 goals and 71 assists. Morgan Geekie provided significant scoring depth, leading the team in goals with 39.
In goal, Jeremy Swayman handled the majority of the workload, starting 54 of 55 games. Swayman finished the season with a 31-18-4 record, a .908 save percentage, a 2.71 goals-against average, and two shutouts. Backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo appeared in 31 games, making 28 starts, and posted a 14-9-6 record with a .894 save percentage, a 3.15 goals-against average, and one shutout.
Buffalo’s Postseason Return
The Buffalo Sabres have ended the longest playoff drought in NHL history, qualifying for the postseason for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Sabres have not won a playoff series since the 2006-07 season, when they reached the Eastern Conference Final and were defeated in five games by the Ottawa Senators.
Buffalo enters the playoffs following a significant turnaround during the 2025-26 campaign. On December 9, 2025, the Sabres were in last place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-14-4. Since that date, the team has posted a record of 39-9-4.
The Sabres’ roster is anchored by franchise players Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. Dahlin recorded 74 points in 77 games while averaging 24:11 of ice time per contest. Thompson led the team in scoring with 81 points in 81 games, including a team-high 41 goals. Buffalo also demonstrated significant depth, with 14 different players recording at least 25 points during the season.
Series Outlook and History
The Bruins held a regular-season advantage over the Sabres, winning three of their four matchups and outscoring Buffalo 12-11. However, the Sabres enter the series having won four consecutive games.
Historically, the two teams have a long history of playoff encounters, particularly during their time in the Adams Division. Their most recent postseason meeting occurred in the 2010 quarter-finals, a series that the sixth-seeded Bruins won in six games against the third-seeded Sabres.
Boston coach Marco Sturm expressed confidence in the matchup, noting the appeal of the pairing for the league and the fans.
Marco Sturm, Boston Bruins Coach
It’s going to be great. People like to watch the Bruins. People like to watch Buffalo. … It’s great for the League. It’s great for us. It’s great for Buffalo to have that matchup right away. It’s been a while for them. We’re hungry enough to beat them. We’re ready, so it should be a good one.