BUFFALO, N.Y. — The atmosphere at the KeyBank Center was electric as the Buffalo Sabres made their long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup playoffs. For the first time in a generation, fans filled the arena with blue-and-gold enthusiasm, and the team channeled that energy into an unforgettable comeback victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Tage Thompson was the star of the night, scoring two goals and contributing an assist on Alex Tuch’s empty-net goal for a three-point performance. Mattias Samuelsson sealed the win with the game-winner just 4:34 into the third period. The Sabres pulled off a thrilling 4-3 victory, giving their fans a night they won’t soon forget.
“You could feel the building shaking,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “The atmosphere was unbelievable. It was great to give our fans that third period.”
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves in his NHL playoff debut, while the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman stopped 34 shots. Despite finishing nine points behind Buffalo in the Atlantic Division standings, Boston managed to win three of four regular-season matchups against the Sabres.
Morgan Geekie opened the scoring in the first period, and he also assisted on Elias Lindholm’s goal that gave Boston a 2-0 lead early in the third. David Pastrnak added a late goal for the Bruins, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Sabres’ relentless third-period rally.
Before the game, the Sabretooth mascot rappelled from the rafters, and a pregame hype video featuring the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Better Day” set the tone for the evening. Sandra Jeanneret, wife of the club’s legendary broadcaster, kicked off the first playoff game for the franchise since 2011 by banging the “Let’s Go Buffalo” drum, ending the longest postseason absence in NHL history.
The crowd had to wait until 52 minutes into the game before celebrating a goal. Thompson scored with 7:58 left in the third period, netting a rebound from behind the net. His goal sparked a rousing rendition of AC/DC’s “T.N.T.” The top scorer on the Sabres then assisted on Tuch’s equalizer with a snap shot from in front less than four minutes later.
Jack Quinn set up Samuelsson for a wrist shot from the high slot, putting the Sabres ahead within a minute of Thompson’s tying goal. The lead held strong with 3:42 remaining in regulation.
“That might’ve been the coolest moment of my life,” Samuelsson said during a postgame interview on the MSG broadcast.
The multi-goal comeback in the final 10 minutes of the third period marked the first time the Sabres have come back from a deficit in the final 10 minutes of a playoff game since Game 4 of their Adams Division semifinal series against Boston in 2006, when Brad May’s overtime goal inspired Jeanneret’s famous “May Day” call.
Game 2 of the series is set for Tuesday night in Buffalo.
Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools, and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
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