Sabres beat Bruins 4-1 in Game 6 to reach 2nd round for 1st time since 2007

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson scored in the first period, Zach Benson added another early in the third and the Sabres beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Friday night in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Josh Norris added an empty-netter. Alex Lyon finished with 25 saves.

The 4-2 series victory is the latest milestone for Buffalo, which saw the end of its 14-year playoff drought by capturing its first Atlantic Division title. The 2007 season was also the last time the Sabres advanced to the second round. They lost in the conference finals that year.

“It's one step in the right direction. That's it,” Tuch said.

Buffalo will play the winner of the Montreal-Tampa Bay series in the second round. That series will go to seven games after the Lightning's 1-0 overtime win Friday night in Montreal.

This is Buffalo's first playoff series win with Lindy Ruff as coach.

“I think Part A is getting to the playoffs. Part B is trying to have success once you get there,” Ruff said. “We talked about what a challenge it was going to be to try to take out a good team. And Boston's a good team. ... I thought our guys dug in and gave us a heck of a game tonight.”

David Pastrnak scored the lone goal for the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman made 22 stops.

“Buffalo, there's a reason they won the division,” Pastrnak said. "A lot of skill and speed that's over there. Their (defense) is very active. So, yeah, they were better."

Tempers flared with 1:31 to play after Benson tripped Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy responded with a slash at Benson. Both were sent to the penalty box.

It ends a feisty series comeback for the Bruins after earning a playoff berth in their first season under coach Marco Sturm. Boston has lost its last six home playoff games.

Trailing 2-1 in the third, the Bruins picked up their attack and had something working in the Sabres’ zone. But Josh Doan poked the puck away to start a break. He was pursued by Pastrnak and McAvoy toward the corner, when Doan flipped it back to a wide-open Zach Benson, who beat Swayman.

The Sabres’ speed dominated in the early going.

That changed 1:54 into the second period when a Buffalo turnover turned into a 2-on-1 break between Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. Zacha passed to Pastrnak on the left side, and he fired it in from the faceoff circle to get the Bruins within 2-1. It marked his third goal in the series.

It was part of a second period that saw an increase in physical play that was mostly allowed by the referees. It included a more than nine-minute stretch without a stoppage of play.

The Sabres needed just 3:25 into the first period to open the scoring when Tuch guided in a touch pass in front of the net by Rasmus Dahlin.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) stretches but cannot make a save on a goal by Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (not shown) during the second period in Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) is upended by Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (89) during the first period in Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak, center, is congratulated after his goal during the second period in Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs, front, celebrates after a goal by Mattias Samuelsson during the first period in Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) sits on the ice after giving up a goal to Buffalo Sabres left wing Zach Benson (6) during the third period in Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

MONTREAL (AP) — Gage Goncalves scored off his own rebound at 9:03 of overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in the first-round series.

Goncalves scored soon after the Lightning killed scoring star Nikita Kucherov's penalty for tripping Alexandre Carrier.

Game 7 is Sunday in Tampa. The Lightning are trying to avoid a fourth consecutive first-round exit, while the Canadiens are chasing their first series victory in five years.

The series winner will face Buffalo. The Sabres wrapped up their series with Boston in six games Friday night with a 4-1 road victory

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for Tampa Bay for his eighth career playoff shutout, and Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots for Montreal. The first three games of the series also went to overtime.

The game was the second in three days to go to overtime scoreless, with Philadelphia beating Pittsburgh 1-0 on Wednesday night to end that series in six games. Before the season, the last 0-0 playoff game in regulation was in 2021.

Dobes and the Canadiens survived a flurry of shots on a late power play. The Lightning got the man advantage after Ivan Demidov broke in on Vasilevskiy, failed to score and was called for goalie interference.

Late in the second — with the Lightning’s Charle-Edouard D’Astous off for slashing Phillip Danault — Vasilevskiy stopped Demidov twice from close range.

Tampa Bay had a power-play chance early in the third after Kaiden Guhle was called for slashing Jake Guentzel. On the Lightning’s best chance, Nikita Kucherov fired a shot off the post.

Montreal had only one shot on goal on a power play to start the second period with Guentzel off for high-sticking Guhle with 11 seconds left in the first.

Danault kept it scoreless a few minutes later when he swept the puck away before it could cross the goal line. Montreal then killed Alexandre Texier’s high-sticking penalty.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) celebrates after his winning goal as Montreal Canadiens' Zachary Bolduc (76) reacts during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) celebrates after his goal against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves, second from left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) scores against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, top left, during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) scores against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, bottom, during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Texier (85) reaches for a rebound with Tampa Bay Lightning's Darren Raddysh (43) as Canadiens' Zachary Bolduc (76) and Lightning's Brandon Hagel (38) battle in front of the Lightning net during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Zachary Bolduc (76) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Brandon Hagel (38) battle for the puck behind Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Montreal on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Brayden Point (21) battles for a rebound with teammate Corey Perry (10) and Montreal Canadiens' Jayden Struble (47), Josh Anderson (17), Lane Hutson (48) and goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during the first period of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson (17) collides with Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) as Lightning's J.J. Moser (90) defends during Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov (93) during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)