After blowing a 2-0 lead in the final eight minutes in Game 1 to lose 4-3 on Sunday night, there were a lot of questions surrounding how the Boston Bruins were going to respond in Game 2 on Tuesday night at the KeyBank Center in Western New York. It would have been easy for them to come out and get blown out, but they didn't. They responded the way head coach Marco Sturm wanted them to.
Boston built a 4-0 lead early in the third period and had to once again survive a late surge from the Sabres before holding on for a win to even the series 1-1 heading back to the TD Garden in Boston for Game 3 on Thursday night. Here are three takeaways from Boston's bounce-back win.
Buffalo is frustrated
For 106 minutes of the series, the Bruins have completely frustrated the Sabres. Tensions reached a boiling point with the Bruins leading 4-0. Take out the final eight minutes of Game 1, and Boston should have a 2-0 series lead.
Boston was perfect again on the penalty kill, and it's too bad Swayman couldn't get the shutout as he deserved it with the way he played and allowed his team to build a 4-0 lead. Bowen Byram broke the shutout bid with six minutes left before they scored another one shortly after, but Boston was able to hold on, unlike Game 1. The Sabres gooned things up early in the third, but clearly they're frustrated. The Black and Gold need to hold serve at home.
Bruins gifted goals from Sabres
Scoreless through 20 minutes, the Bruins grabbed a 3-0 lead through 40 minutes. Viktor Arvidsson scored on a breakaway when he swept the puck between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's legs. Then, Luukkonen gifted the Bruins a second goal. Morgan Geekie flipped the puck in from center ice, and it somehow got through UPL for a 2-0 lead.
Geek Squad sneak attack! 🤓 pic.twitter.com/zhurKAvjCm
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 22, 2026
Then a power play strike from Pavel Zacha made it 3-0 late in the period before Arvidsson scored his second 16 seconds into the third period. Lindy Ruff made a goalie switch and brought in Alex Lyon, who didn't allow a goal, but this certainly gives the Sabres a goalie issue going into Game 3.
Jeremy Swayman forcing proves Marco Sturm hasn't learned his lesson from Game 1 after Buffalo's push
When Buffalo rallied in the third period in Game 1 on Sunday night, Sturm never called a timeout, and it didn't go lost on anybody. He defended that decision following the game, but after the Sabres struck for two goals just over a minute apart, he called on Tuesday night. With an assist from Swayman, who asked him to call it.
It seemed to settle his team down a little bit to withstand the Sabres' late push that came until the final horn sounded. They had a chance to seal it with an empty-net goal, but Mark Kastelic hit the outside of the net. One thing you can't say about the 2025-26 Boston Bruins is that they never make things boring. They need to close games better if they have a lead in any other game in the series.
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