Tied 1-1 entering the third period on Thursday night at the TD Garden with the Buffalo Sabres in a pivotal Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, the Boston Bruins were in a good position. However, we have seen this play out over time this season, and it hasn't been pretty. It wasn't pretty on Thursday night.
Buffalo scored two goals in the final period for a 3-1 victory to take a 2-1 series lead with three days off until Game 4 on Sunday afternoon in Boston. The Bruins were their own worst enemy with mistakes in their own end, and the inability to clear pucks cost them when Alex Tuch buried the game-winner early in the period.
However, as much as the game was lost in the defensive end, the same could be said about the offensive end. Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon came up with some big saves, but it feels like a missed opportunity by the Black and Gold. After the game, David Pastrnak explained what Boston didn't do and what they need to do going forward, beginning on Sunday.
Bruins David Pastrnak explains what needs to be done in Game 4
“Just got to bear down. We had big opportunities on power plays; we got two power plays in the last six, seven minutes. We have to bury one of those. It’s on us guys on the power play to be better. Their goalie played well, but we have to make it a little harder on him as well,” Pastrnak said. “It was a good opportunity for us, but it’s playoffs. Every game has been tight-checking, and today they came on top of it.”
The power play has been a huge letdown since the Olympic Break. It has continued into the series. They scored a garbage-time goal in Game 1 with six seconds left, before Pavel Zacha scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal late in the second period of Game 2. Other than that, it's been a bunch of missed opportunities and failure to get shots on the net. They didn't make it harder on Lyon, and most Bruins fans know that.
When they did get chances, they were not close enough to the goal to challenge Lyon. He saw a lot of the shots, and yes, he did make some key saves, but it didn't feel like the Bruins tested him enough. He did get a piece of a Viktor Arvidsson penalty shot in the second period, which turned the tide in the game.
We've heard this song and dance from the Bruins this season. It's one thing to say it, it's another thing to go out and do it. A loss in Game 4 on Sunday and the Black and Gold are all but cooked. A change in their offensive mindset, along with some of their top players stepping up in the series, would go a long way toward evening the series. Easier said than done with the 2025-26 Boston Bruins.
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