BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins] (1-1) return home and host the Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] (1-1) inside TD Garden for Game 3 of the first round in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The biggest piece of news from warmups came from the Buffalo side of the equation. Buffalo's starting netminder Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen has been benched in favor of Alex Lyon for Game 3. Luukkonen had a nightmare Game 2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/watch-morgan-geekie-scores-unbelievable-goal-from-center-ice], and an overall sloppy start to the series, allowing seven goals on 39 shots. Luukkonen, who missed stretches of this season due to injury, played in 35 games to Lyon's 36. Still, Luukkonen had been viewed as Buffalo's #1 netminder through this season. Lyon is 1-3-1 in his career against the Bruins with an .894 SV% and a GAA of 3.04 Lyon played three games in the 2023 first round against the Bruins, then with the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers]. Lyon started Games 1, 2, and 3 with starter Sergei Bobrovsky injured. He went 1-2, with a 3.26 GAA and a .902 SV%. It's Lyon's first playoff start since Game 3 of the 2023 first round. The Bruins will want to take advantage and funnel as many pucks as possible at Lyon, to try and get him off balance early.
