Sabres erupt for 4 goals in first
period, win 6-1 to push Bruins to 3-1 hole in series
[April 27, 2026]
By JIMMY GOLEN
BOSTON (AP) — Sabres coach Lindy Ruff shut down any talk of putting
forwards Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker back in after injuries sent
them to the locker room late in Game 4 of Buffalo's first-round
playoff series against the Bruins.
“I said ‘There’s no need to return at this time,’" Ruff said on
Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston. "Just
treat them and leave them in the dressing room. Just for where the
game was at.”
It was that kind of day for Buffalo — and Boston.
Josh Doan had a goal and an assist during Buffalo’s four-goal
first-period, and Alex Lyon stopped 21 shots to help the Sabres take
a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Buffalo, which fell
behind in each of the first three games, took a 6-0 lead before the
Bruins got on the board in the final minute.
“I am embarrassed, and we all should be,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm
said. "And we’re all (upset), and we will talk about it, but then we
have to move on.
“As far as I know, you have to win four games to move on. They’ve
got three, so that means we still have a chance,” he said. "And I
can cry about it, but I also have to push my guys for the next game
and make sure our intensity is going to be there.”
Peyton Krebs, Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also scored to help
Buffalo open a 4-0 lead. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch scored 84
seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-0 and chase Bruins
goalie Jeremy Swayman.
\Boston split the games in Buffalo and needed just one win at home to
avoid moving to the brink of elimination. Instead the Sabres, who
won the Atlantic Division to end an NHL-record 14-year playoff
drought, can finish off the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on
Tuesday night in Buffalo for their first playoff series win since
2007.
“They beat us once in our building, so I’m sure that they’re going
to come in feeling confident and motivated. We have to be ready for
that,” Lyon said. “Sometimes when you have a really good game, it’s
almost harder to a degree to curb that emotion. So, enjoy it for a
hot second, and then we've got a job to do.”
Swayman stopped 23 shots for Boston before he was pulled at 46
minutes, 41 seconds, shouting down the bench in frustration as he
left the ice. Joonas Korpisalo stopped all six shots he faced the
rest of the way.
“At least the one guy” showed emotion, Sturm said. “It was not his
fault today, I can tell you that. Felt bad for him. That’s why we
kept him in there for a while, because he’s a battler. He wants to
be in.”
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Buffalo Sabres' Zach Benson (6) scores on Boston Bruins' Jeremy
Swayman (1) during the first period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL
hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in
Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Krebs scored 4:17 into the game, Doan’s goal came
less than three minutes later and Benson followed two minutes after
that. When Byram made it 4-0 just 14:24 into the game, it was
Buffalo’s second four-goal period of the series; the Sabres rallied
from a 2-0 third-period deficit to win 4-3 in Game 1.
The last time the Bruins allowed four goals in the first period of a
playoff game, they were facing the Hartford Whalers in the first
round of the 1991 postseason.
Sean Kuraly scored a short-handed goal in the final minute to avert
the Bruins' first shoutout of the season.
The Sabres lost Kozak after a hit from Bruins defenseman Charlie
McAvoy midway through the third period sent him into the boards. It
wasn't clear what happened to Zucker, who last appeared in the
play-by-play with about five minutes left.
Buffalo’s power-play woes continued — sort of. After failing to
score on their first 13 man advantages in the series — and their
last 22 in the regular season — the Sabres’ second goal came just
after a Boston penalty expired, but before Viktor Arvidsson had
gotten back into play.
But they were officially 0 for 2 on the power play, extending their
drought to 15 in the series and 37 overall.
“You could say we’re going to be 0-for-whatever. I really don’t care
right now,” Ruff said. “As far as I’m concerned, we scored a
power-play goal. The guy was still in the box, and it looked good.”
Up next
The Sabres will have a chance to eliminate Boston in Buffalo on
Tuesday night, with a Game 6 back at the TD Garden on Friday, if
necessary.
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