Sabres End 15-Year Playoff Drought with Dramatic Victory Over Bruins
Sabres end 15-year playoff drought with 4-3 home victory over Bruins in dramatic Game 1.
Event / Sports
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers compete in the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both teams returned to playoffs after multi-year absences, with Game 1 won by Philadelphia 3-2.
4 reported locations
Daily activity
0 articles0 articles
2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 20 Apr, 02:36 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
Sabres won Atlantic Division title in 2025-26 season
The Buffalo Sabres won their first Atlantic Division title in the 2025-26 regular season, which also contributed to ending their 14-year playoff drought.
Mattias Samuelsson scores game-winning goal for Sabres with 3:24 remaining
Mattias Samuelsson scored the go-ahead goal for the Sabres with 3:24 left in the game. The goal came off a feed from teammate Jack Quinn deep in the Bruins zone, with Samuelsson snapping a high shot in from the left circle.
Jeremy Swayman makes 34 saves for Bruins in Game 1 loss
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in the Game 1 playoff loss to Buffalo.
Buffalo Sabres defeat Boston Bruins 4-3 in first playoff game in 15 years
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins 4-3 on April 19, 2026, in Game 1 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series. The Sabres overcame a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes of the game. This was Buffalo's first playoff game since 2011, ending an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
David Pastrnak scores with 7 seconds remaining for Bruins
David Pastrnak scored for the Boston Bruins with just seven seconds remaining in the game. Pastrnak also had two assists in the game, bringing his career playoff total to 909 points and moving him ahead of Cam Neely and Wayne Cashman for ninth on the Bruins' all-time playoff scoring list.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes 17 saves for Sabres
Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves in the playoff victory against Boston.
Bruins finished regular season 33-2-4 when leading after two periods
The Boston Bruins finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 33-2-4 record when leading after two periods, but were unable to hold their lead against Buffalo in the playoff opener.
Tage Thompson scores two goals to tie the game for Buffalo
Tage Thompson, who led the Sabres with 40 goals in the regular season, scored two goals 3:42 apart to tie the game. His first came on a wraparound backhander with 7:58 remaining, and he tied the game at 2-2 with 4:16 left by firing a low shot inside the far post.
Alex Tuch scores empty-net goal to seal Sabres victory
Alex Tuch sealed the Sabres' victory by scoring into an empty net with 1:12 remaining in the game, extending Buffalo's lead to 4-3.
Game 2 of Sabres-Bruins series scheduled for Tuesday in Buffalo
Game 2 of the first-round playoff series between the Sabres and Bruins is scheduled to be played Tuesday night in Buffalo.
Pittsburgh Penguins return to Stanley Cup Playoffs after four-year absence
The Pittsburgh Penguins returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a four-year absence. The team last appeared in the postseason during the 2021-2022 campaign. This represents a significant achievement for the franchise as they compete against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round.
Jamie Drysdale scores in Flyers playoff debut
Jamie Drysdale scored a goal in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut for the Philadelphia Flyers. Drysdale is the fifth defenseman in Flyers history to record a goal in his playoff debut.
Porter Martone scores playoff debut goal in Game 1 victory
Porter Martone, a 19-year-old rookie and the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, scored his first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal in his playoff debut for the Philadelphia Flyers. Martone is one of five defensemen in Flyers history to score in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.
Game 2 of Penguins-Flyers series scheduled for Monday at PPG Paints Arena
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers is scheduled for Monday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The Penguins will look to even the series after losing Game 1.
Evgeni Malkin scores first playoff goal since May 2022
Evgeni Malkin scored a goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1, marking his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal since May 13, 2022. Malkin also recorded an assist in the game for a two-point performance.
Philadelphia Flyers make first playoff appearance since 2020
The Philadelphia Flyers returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020. The team last won the Stanley Cup more than 50 years ago. Their victory over Pittsburgh in Game 1 marks the beginning of their latest playoff run.
Philadelphia Flyers defeat Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in Game 1 of Eastern Conference First Round
The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round playoff series at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Jamie Drysdale scored first for Philadelphia, followed by Travis Sanheim's go-ahead goal in the third period. Porter Martone added a goal for the Flyers. Evgeni Malkin scored for Pittsburgh, and Bryan Rust cut the deficit to 3-2 late in the game.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
Flyers Edge Penguins in Playoff Return Matchup
Flyers beat Penguins 3-2 in playoff opener as both teams return to postseason play.