The Boston Bruins annihilated the New Jersey Devils 4-0 on Tuesday night, solidifying their first-round matchup for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bruins will square off with the Atlantic Division Champions, the Buffalo Sabres.
The Bruins went 3-0-1 against the Sabres this season, with two wins coming in overtime.
Every game was physically punishing, with speed and skill.
It's worth noting, three matchups came before the 2026 even began. The first two games came in October.
Still, that game on March 25 sets the table for how good this series should be.
That night, the Bruins took 1-0 and 2–1 leads, only for Buffalo tie it up both times. The second equalizing goal came in the third period, and just 33 seconds later, Buffalo took the lead.
That game came 24 hours after a deflating loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Boston's playoff odds sinking to 50% at the time.
The consecutive goals from Buffalo could've been a real knockout punch in that game, and maybe the season.
Casey Mittelstadt, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Sabres, tied the game.
Pavel Zacha walked it off in overtime. The Bruins then rattled off three consecutive wins afterward against the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Minnesota Wild.
In the span of a week, Boston's odds went from 50% to 95%, all thanks to a massive win over Buffalo.
If that back-and-forth, chippy, physical game gets played in every game, it'll be a phenomenal series.
Boston will have a legitimate chance to win the series, too. Buffalo has virtually zero playoff experience of any kind. Boston's still got plenty, even despite last year's miss.
Jeremy Swayman should be the best goalie in the series, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could prove to be just as sharp.
The series is set to get underway this upcoming weekend in Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting Games 1 and 2.
The last time Buffalo and Boston squared off in the playoffs was the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins knocked off the Sabres in six games, despite entering as the lower seed and underdog.
They'll look to follow that exact road map against the Sabres this time around, too.
It's finally the best time of year, Bruins fans. Settle in and enjoy.