After a fifteen-year wait, the Buffalo Sabres made NHL history with a four-goal third-period explosion to stun the Bruins and ignite a city-wide frenzy.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — After 15 years of waiting for a playoff game, it only made sense for the Buffalo Sabres to require a record-breaking comeback to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3 in the opening game of their first-round series. Down 2-0, the Sabres surged to score four goals in the final eight minutes. They became the first club in NHL history to win a playoff game in regulation by erasing a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes of the third period.
The comeback felt destined when the KeyBank Center exploded as Tage Thompson scored the first of his two goals, sending the Buffalo crowd into a frenzy. “These are the kind of games you live for,” Thompson said. “You want to be in these games and it’s been a long time coming, so that was a fun one for sure”.
The excitement was palpable throughout the building from the moment fans stepped outside the arena. It was a vibe that could only be rivaled in the city by a Buffalo Bills tailgate party. Fans filled Canalside Park more than two hours before puck drop, and the building was packed immediately following warmups. The raucous crowd cheered as their team left the ice, while Bruins backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo missed open shots at the net before stepping off himself.
As the game wore on, the Sabres peppered the Bruins with shots, but it was Boston that took the initial lead and silenced the crowd. However, the Sabres didn’t give up or crumble under their lack of playoff experience. “I think eight years of adversity is enough experience to get you ready for something like this,” Thompson remarked. “The last thing you want is regret, and there's just a heightened feeling of hunger”.
Once that first Sabres goal went in, the floodgates opened. Thompson tied the game with his second goal, Mattias Samuelsson netted the game-winner, and playoff veteran Alex Tuch buried an empty-netter to seal the Game 1 victory.
“You could feel the building shake,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “It was great to give our fans that third period”. Ruff went on to call the performance the sweetest win of his coaching career—a high compliment from a man who has been through so much with the club.
The long build-up is finally over. With Game 1 in the books, the Sabres' roster now has the playoff experience they lacked yesterday. Now, they are the hunted and must prove their worth once again in front of the home crowd for Game 2.