The Buffalo Sabres put together an emotional comeback victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division rivals' first-round playoff series. Now the challenge is trying to avoid a letdown when the battle resumes Tuesday night.
Sabres winger Alex Tuch, who gained 66 games of postseason experience with the Vegas Golden Knights before arriving to Buffalo in a 2021 trade, is preparing his teammates for a hungry Bruins squad that will be looking to make a statement after letting the opener slip away late.
"Boston's going to come out and try and have a really strong push in Game 2," Tuch told reporters. "We've got to try to take care of business at home."
Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff echoed that sentiment.
"We went through the game, areas we thought we were pretty good at, a couple areas we'd like to improve," Ruff said. "Talked about putting this game away and moving on to the next one, knowing that it's a desperate situation for them. No team really wants to go down two games to none, and we'd like to put them in that situation."
The Bruins played a cautious first game, especially after taking a 2-0 lead. They didn't take many chances to create offense, instead relying on a couple Sabres mistakes and hoping goalie Jeremy Swayman would handle the rest.
It almost worked. But Buffalo stormed back with four goals in the final 10 minutes in front of a raucous KeyBank Center crowd, and once the Sabres' offense gets rolling, it's incredibly difficult to slow down.
So, expect a more aggressive mindset from Boston moving forward. Swayman has the potential to carry the B's to an upset, but he can't do it alone, especially against one of the NHL's highest-scoring squads.
Buffalo Sabres' Alex Tuch continues to boost his free-agent value with early playoff success
Tuch has stood pretty firm on his contract demands over the past year. He's seeking a long-term extension in the neighborhood of $10.5 million annually.
Although that's a high asking price, especially for a player who's set to turn 30 in May, a depleted group of unrestricted free agents this summer means he'll likely get that number (or close to it) on the open market if the Sabres opt to use the money elsewhere.
Tuch is a unique case for a few reasons.
First, the Boston College product is a three-phase contributor for Buffalo. He scored 52 of his 66 points this season at even strength, added nine more on the power play while often skating on the second unit and the remaining five came shorthanded.
The veteran winger set a new NHL single-season record for a forward by blocking 113 shots last season. He blocked 90 more in 2025-26.
Second, Tuch is a Syracuse native who grew up rooting for the Sabres. He understands how great of a hockey town Buffalo is, and now he's getting to experience it in the playoffs as the fans create an amazing atmosphere for the club's first postseason appearance since 2011.
Does that mean it's a lock he's going to re-sign? No. He's been playing under a team-friendly $4.75 million salary-cap hit in recent years and it appears he'd like to recoup some value in his next contract, and it's hard to blame him for that stance.
Ultimately, it comes down to where Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen draws a line. Paying Tuch a double-digit AAV for the next few years would be fine, especially in a rising-cap environment, but it's hard to imagine that contract would age well into his mid-to-late 30s.
Something like a three- or four-year deal makes more sense for Buffalo but this is the winger's last chance to cash in at peak value, so he'll likely continue to push hard for a seven- or eight-year agreement, which is understandable.
Given everything Tuch and the Sabres have accomplished this season, it'd be a unfortunate twist if he leaves the organization as a free agent over the summer. He's a fan favorite who clearly takes pride in wearing the Blue and Gold.
Alas, the NHL is a business and that outcome remains a possibility, particularly if the power forward keeps increasing his value with a strong postseason run.
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