Sabres score 4 third-period goals to beat Bruins in Game 1

Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center went from morgue to mental asylum on Sunday buffalo saber rallied from 2-0 down in the third period to defeat boston bruins 4-3 To secure the franchise’s first playoff win in 15 years.

The Sabers were on the ropes until they scored four goals in just 6:46 of the final frame, clawing back a two-goal lead. taze thompson In his first NHL appearance in the postseason. Thompson’s heroics reflect all that he and Buffalo have done to reach their current pinnacle.

“Eight years of adversity is enough experience to prepare you for this,” Thompson said. “When you go eight years [with this team] Without making the playoffs, and then it’s finally here, the last thing you want is regrets. It was a strong feeling of hunger and we did not want to miss this opportunity. “Tonight was really important to make a statement and set our standard.”

If anything, the Game 1 win underlined an internal mantra for the Sabers that is sure to catch on with the public.

“We always talk about how dogs have to be dogs,” Sabers captain Rasmus Dahlin Said. “Today, [Thompson] Showed up and led the team. That was special.”

Thompson has taken his place within the Sabres’ lauded young core and is proud to embrace the meaning of that statement in a big way, now that Buffalo has the lead in this playoff series.

“I think up and down our lineup, we want to be guys that make a difference,” Thompson said. “That’s a mantra we want to tell each other and see if we can be a game changer. These are the games you live for and want to be a part of.”

If Thompson got things started, the rest of Buffalo followed him to not only overtake the Bruins, but stay there — in historic fashion, no less. According to ESPN Research, the Sabres’ rally made them the second team to overcome a multigoal deficit in the final eight minutes to win in regulation of a playoff game. Second? Against the New York Americans in Game 2 of the 1940 NHL Quarterfinals detroit red wings.

In fact, it was an accomplishment for Buffalo, a team that worked hard to give equal credit to both Thompson and the fans behind him.

“I think the crowd was great the whole night,” he said mattias samuelsonWho scored the third goal for the Sabres. “That place exploded and you could feel the energy building. Once we broke them, we could get out of there, and [Thompson] Let us go.”

Whether or not that was the key to their success in Game 1, coach Lindy Ruff confirmed that Thompson and her teammates got a 60-minute education they’ll never forget.

“I said to him right after the game, ‘Do you want experience? You’ve got it now,'” Ruff said. “What an experience. If you’re going to say it’s your first experience [NHL] Playoff game, you have a great story to tell.”

“I don’t think it was an individual effort,” Thompson said. “I was in the right spot where the puck got me out of the pressure. Those two goals were exactly what we wanted to score all night. Luckily, they worked out for us.”

The key to the Sabres’ climb toward winning the Atlantic Division this year was that they not only built trust in each other, but also trusted the systems and structures that were put in place to guide them up the standings.

“I don’t think that faith ever wavered,” Samuelson said. “We just tried to stick to the process. We had a lot of confidence within the group and we got the momentum right and it worked well.”

Ruff credited the Sabers for defeating the Bruins and ultimately winning the battle down low to defeat the goaltender. jeremy swaymanIn a 34-save performance. Once Thompson rejoined Buffalo, it seemed as if the team would not be denied.

“You could feel the building shaking,” Ruff said. “The atmosphere was unbelievable. Our puck play, we were a little nervous [early] And that hurt us. “In the last 10 minutes we got our game in good shape.”

The Sabers will now look to hold on to their win until Game 2 on Tuesday, where the Bruins will look to overcome their mistakes.

“Their defensive structure is good,” Ruff said of Boston. “Two good teams playing hockey. We made them pay for some mistakes. They weren’t losing early. The fact that we were able to wear them down over time made a difference.”

Buffalo can enjoy this win at least overnight, but the goal now is to turn the page as quickly as possible and focus on what’s next.

“Every game matters a lot, every inning matters a lot and the frustration is greater,” Thompson said. “You never know what the turning point will be in a game or a series. We don’t look too much in hindsight.”