James Nichols
Get back on the Wagon. The Buffalo Sabres know how to punch back.
The Sabres earned a gritty 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Game 3, seizing a 2-1 edge in their first-round playoff series.
Lindy Ruff opted for goaltender Alex Lyon—who was outstanding—following Ukka Pekka-Luukkonen‘s spiral in Game 2’s loss. Lyon turned aside 24 of 25 shots for a .960 save percentage, while the Sabres controlled play effectively despite a scoreless first period.
Boston drew first blood early in the second period when Tanner Jeannot snapped a shot past Lyon at 3:26, assisted by Charlie McAvoy, for a 1-0 lead.
The Sabres responded quickly, however. Bowen Byram tied it at 1-1 at 10:58 of the second with a wrist shot, set up by Noah Ostlund and Owen Power. Buffalo outshot Boston 8-6 in the period and carried momentum into the intermission.
The third period belonged to the visitors. Alex Tuch (one of the game’s Three Stars) gave Buffalo its first lead at 4:03, firing a snap shot from Peyton Krebs and Byram for a 2-1 advantage.
The Sabres tightened defensively and limited Boston’s chances, with Lyon making several key stops. Noah Ostlund—making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in place of the injured Josh Norris—sealed the win with an empty-netter at 18:36, assisted by Jack Quinn, making it 3-1.
Buffalo finished with 28 shots on goal to Boston’s 25. Neither team converted on the power play (0-for-5 for BUF, 0-for-4 for BOS), but the Sabres were more disciplined overall and won key faceoffs (51% to 49%). Physical play ramped up late, with multiple roughing and cross-checking penalties after the whistle in the final minutes.
The Sabres and Bruins will get a bit of rest here, suiting up next for Game 4 at 2:00 P.M. Sunday afternoon.
