The Buffalo Sabres continued their remarkable postseason return Thursday night, rallying for a 3–1 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. The win gives Buffalo a 2–1 series lead and restores home-ice advantage after a poised comeback performance at TD Garden.
Defenseman Bowen Byram scored just over a minute after Boston missed a penalty shot, and forward Alex Tuch snapped a third-period tie with the eventual game-winner. Goaltender Alex Lyon delivered a steady postseason debut with 24 saves, helping the Sabres maintain control late before Noah Östlund sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Buffalo, which ended an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought by capturing the Atlantic Division this season, now sits two wins away from advancing to the second round.
Boston struck first for the third straight game in the series when Tanner Jeannot scored early in the second period, continuing a pattern that has given the Bruins early momentum throughout the matchup.
They nearly doubled the lead moments later after Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson broke his stick near the Sabres’ net, creating a turnover that sent Viktor Arvidsson in alone. Rasmus Dahlin took Arvidsson down on the play, resulting in a penalty shot that could have changed the game’s trajectory.
Instead, Lyon held firm. Arvidsson circled wide and approached cautiously, but the Buffalo netminder denied him with no opening available.
Just over a minute later, the momentum flipped completely.
Capitalizing on the missed opportunity, Byram stepped into a one-timer that beat Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman to tie the game 1–1 and energize Buffalo’s bench.
The Sabres carried that momentum into the third period, where Tuch found a loose puck in traffic and fired through a screened Swayman to give Buffalo its first lead of the night. Östlund added the empty-netter with 1:24 remaining to secure the victory.
Swayman finished with 25 saves, but Boston’s inability to convert key chances proved costly.
Buffalo’s decision to start Lyon in Game 3 paid immediate dividends.
Regular-season starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who closed the year on a 12-2-1 run, had earned the playoff opener but was pulled after allowing the fourth goal early in the third period of Game 2. Lyon responded with a composed effort Thursday night, continuing the strong form that helped him post a 20-10-4 regular-season record.
Despite the victory, Buffalo’s power play remains a glaring weakness. After finishing the regular season with 22 straight unsuccessful power plays, the Sabres have now gone 0-for-13 with the man advantage in the series, including four missed chances in Game 3.
Even so, their resilience at even strength continues to carry them.
The teams split the first two games in Buffalo, with the Sabres rallying late to win Game 1 (4–3) before falling behind early in Game 2 (4–2 loss). Now, Buffalo has flipped the script on the road and reclaimed control of the series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Boston, where the Bruins must respond to avoid returning to Buffalo facing elimination pressure in Game 5.
