What they’re saying about Bruins’ third-period collapse vs. Sabres in Game 1

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What they’re saying about Bruins’ third-period collapse vs. Sabres in Game 1

Lauren Campbell · MassLive

Mon, Apr 20, 2026 ·

4 min read

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The Bruins had a 2-0 lead over the Sabres going into the third period ofGame 1 on Sunday night. But things changed in a span of 6:36 when Buffalo scored four unanswered goals to take the lead.

An empty-netter sealed the Sabres' win to take a 1-0 series lead in front of a very lively KeyBank Center crowd.

The Bruins allowed Buffalo to crawl back into the game after being in control for the first 45 minutes.

Here's what's being said about Boston 's loss.

MassLive

"Even if one loss didn't chop the Bruins' legs out from under them, it unquestionably elevated the Sabres. It wasn't just what Boston didn't achieve on Sunday night, but what they allowed the Sabres to take at their expense.

"By not finishing off a winnable game, Boston made Buffalo better. That's undeniable."

The Athletic

"Thompson has been the Sabres' most prolific scorer for the last few years. The frustration of missing the playoffs has weighed on him. He helped Team USA win a gold medal, and it only further fueled his desire to play in those types of games in the NHL. He showed up in a big way for the Sabres in this game. He finished the game with two goals, an assist and seven shots on net.

"More importantly, he was a beast on the forecheck in the third period when the Sabres needed him most. Buffalo came into this game without a lot of playoff experience, but one of those players with zero playoff games came through in the toughest spot. That's a good sign for where the Sabres can go from here."

Sportsnet

"Already put to the test beyond any reasonable expectation, Sabres supporters had to do 52:02 more of hard time before they had something specific to centre all that pent-up emotion on. With his team down 2-0 to a crafty Bruins team backed by Jeremy Swayman 's strong goaltending, Tage Thompson — after two Boston defenders pinned his teammate, Peyton Krebs , against the boards — took a puck that squirted loose behind the net and stuffed it past Swayman before the goalie could get a toe to the post.

"Belief blossomed and permeated the building, starting with the 20 guys wearing blue and yellow."

Boston Herald.

"This one definitely hurts. The talk going into the series, at least from the Bruins' side, was that they were bigger and tougher. But the Sabres took the body at will, delivering 53 hits to the B's 38, led by Tage Thompson, who put the Sabres on his back. He scored the Sabres' first two goals and Alex Tuch , one of the few Sabres with extensive playoff experience from when he was with Vegas , doled out 10 hits. And the Sabres' physicality paid dividends when it mattered.

"This was a big fish that got away from the B's. They had the Sabres, most of whom had never played in the playoffs and they looked jittery at times in the offensive zone over the first 50 minutes. Those nerves would have worsened had the B's taken Game 1."

The Boston Globe

"For two-plus periods, Swayman's heroics were the only thing holding Buffalo's KeyBank Center from total eruption, personally preventing a packed house of playoff-starved fans from having anything to celebrate. His save total cruised into the 30s as he turned away every Buffalo attempt at breaking the city's 15-year playoff drought.

"But then, the dam cracked … the walls crumbled … and the Bruins completely collapsed.

"It was a stunning case of hockey whiplash.

"Now, the Bruins need a quick case of hockey amnesia, because the sting of lost opportunity threatens to bleed into Game 2. How can they not be shaken?"

NBC Sports Boston

"The B's did not play with enough of a killer instinct in the third period. They seemed content to play it safe with a 2-0 lead. They had very little offensive zone time and had absolutely no answer for the Sabres' forecheck.

"Boston's defensemen wilted under the pressure of that forecheck, and it allowed the Sabres to control possession and fire a ton of shots at Swayman. It was only a matter of time before the dam broke, and it finally happened with 7:58 remaining in the third period when Tage Thompson scored Buffalo's first goal."

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