The Boston Bruins and their fans are mostly just happy to be returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a one-year hiatus. However, now that they have their spot clinched and Game 1 is just days away, everyone will start looking at the best possible path toward a shocking run to the Stanley Cup. It isn't going to be easy, but the Bruins getting the Buffalo Sabres in the first round is the best-case scenario.
A little over a week ago, the Atlantic Division was up for grabs, and the Bruins weren't making it easy to stay on that side of the bracket. They lost five games in a row, putting them in danger of falling to the second wild card and facing the Carolina Hurricanes, while the Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens all had the same number of points in the race for first.
The Bruins saved the possibility of crossing over into the other bracket with convincing wins in their final two games. It was almost as if a weight lifted off everyone's shoulders after clinching the playoffs, and it showed in the wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils.
Why the Sabres are the perfect first-round matchup for the Bruins
The Sabres aren't going to be a walkover, but their playoff inexperience could serve the Bruins well heading into this matchup. It's a tale as old as time in all sports to see a team finally break through and make the playoffs before meeting a quick demise in their first taste of experience. We saw it as recently as last year in the NHL with the Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.
The Canadiens being more prepared for the playoffs this time around is one of the main reasons why the Bruins wouldn't have wanted that matchup. It wouldn't be overly surprising to see them find a way to get past the Lightning, who are a team they've performed well against this season.
They've also given the Bruins some trouble this season, despite Boston owning a 2-1-1 record against them. With their play over the past two months that catapulted them into the division race and the emergence of one of the league's hottest goaltending tandems, the Canadiens would've been a tough out.
No Bruins fan needs to be told what the Lightning have done to them in 2026. The Bruins owned a massive lead at the Stadium Series and third-period leads in back-to-back games near the end of the season, but the Lightning have rallied back in each game to steal victories. Tampa Bay would've been the worst-case scenario on mental psyche alone.
Finally, the Hurricanes have been a contender for a long time, and their style of play doesn't mesh well with the Bruins. Their goaltending and scoring depth are question marks that might make them an upset candidate against the Senators, but I speak for all fans when I say watching that team puck possess, dive, and complain for a full series would've been too rage-inducing to enjoy.
One of the best year to year turnarounds in Bruins franchise history. (Note: For this one, I only applied seasons with same amount of games played as year before.) pic.twitter.com/2g1g43U9BW
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) April 15, 2026
Sticking on this side of the bracket won't make the second round any easier with the Lightning or Canadiens waiting. Regardless, it's a fate that any fan would've signed up for at the beginning of the season when it felt like it'd be another year of losing.
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