Buffalo Sabres stun Boston Bruins to claim first playoff win in 15 years
The Buffalo Sabres overcame a late two-goal deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Sunday night, securing their first NHL playoff victory in 15 years.
Mattias Samuelsson struck with just over three minutes remaining to cap a stunning third-period comeback for the Atlantic Division champions.
The dramatic Game 1 victory marked the franchise’s first post-season win since a 1-0 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers in April 2011.
Thompson ignites late resurgence
Trailing 2-0 after Elias Lindholm scored early in the final frame, the hosts finally found a spark through their leading regular-season scorer.
Tage Thompson netted a wraparound backhander with under eight minutes left, before firing a low shot inside the far post to level the contest 3:42 later.
With the home crowd electrified, Jack Quinn recovered a loose puck deep in the offensive zone and fed Samuelsson, who snapped a high shot into the net just 52 seconds after the equaliser.
Bruins collapse despite strong regular season
Alex Tuch sealed the historic win by converting into an empty net with 72 seconds remaining, rendering David Pastrnak’s last-gasp strike a mere consolation.
The late collapse was uncharacteristic for the seventh-seeded visitors, who boasted a formidable 33-2-4 record when leading after two periods during the regular campaign.
Despite the defeat, Pastrnak’s three-point performance moved him past Cam Neely and Wayne Cashman into ninth place on Boston’s all-time playoff scoring list.
Buffalo will look to double their series advantage when they host Game 2 on Tuesday night.
