The Buffalo Sabres dominated the Boston Bruins on Sunday, scoring four goals in the first period en route to a 6-1 road victory and a 3-1 series lead in the first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs battle.
Bruins head coach Marco Sturm delivered a blunt assessment of his team's performance, which leaves the B's one game from elimination as the series shifts back to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday night.
"We should be embarrassed because it was embarrassing," Sturm told reporters. "Guys know me and we're going to talk about it. We're going to analyze this, but at the end of the day, we have to move on, too. I am embarrassed and we all should be. You have to win four games to move on. They've got three, so that means we still have a chance. I can cry about it, but I have to push my guys for the next game and make sure our intensity is going to be there."
Everything about the series changed in Game 3 when the Sabres stopped trying to out-physical the Bruins and started playing a more up-tempo, direct style of hockey, which has allowed the Blue and Gold to look a lot more like the team that skyrocketed up the standings starting in early December.
Buffalo scored three goals in five minutes during the first half of the opening period, and defenseman Bowen Byram lit the lamp for the third time in the series a handful of minutes later. The high-flying Sabres, who went missing early the series, were suddenly back in full force.
"That first period is the best period we've played all year," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "Puck pressure, the scoring opportunities, as well as we moved the puck and got the puck up ice and didn't spend much time in our end."
Five different players scored a goal and 10 players recorded an assist as part of the team-wide destruction of the Bruins. Alex Lyon, who was making his second straight start, stopped 23 of Boston's 24 shots to stake further claim to the starting goalie role for Buffalo.
The Sabres can compete with any team in the NHL, including the Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes, when they play like they did on Sunday.
Buffalo now has a 91% chance to advance to the second round and 9% odds of winning the championship, which is the fourth-best mark in the league, per HockeyStats.com.
Meanwhile, let's check out the newest installment of our Sabres playoff player grades series as the team begins to hit its postseason stride.
Buffalo Sabres produce tremendous all-around performance in Game 4 win vs. Boston Bruins
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Bowen Byram | 10 |
Josh Doan | 9.5 |
Alex Tuch | 9.5 |
Alex Lyon | 9.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 9 |
Tage Thompson | 8.5 |
Zach Benson | 8.5 |
Owen Power | 8 |
Jack Quinn | 7.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 7.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 7 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 7 |
Jason Zucker | 6.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 6.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 6 |
Tyson Kozak | 5.5 |
Conor Timmins | 5.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 5 |
Logan Stanley | 4.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Bowen Byram
Byram has been the best player on the ice over the last three games. Not only has he recorded five points (three goals and two assists) over that span, but his skating has been phenomenal and he's showing extreme confidence with the puck on his stick, especially on defensive-zone breakouts.
The 24-year-old blueliner, who previously captured a Stanley Cup title with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, is helping carry the Sabres defense while Rasmus Dahlin has been uncharacteristically quiet early in the series. It's one example of why the club's depth is so important.
Byram's first-stride acceleration has also helped him thwart several Boston counterattacks in this series. That's been a crucial element of the Sabres finding their footing because the Bruins did a great job in the first two games of forcing a turnover and creating a scoring chance from it. It's been less of a problem for Buffalo over the past two contests.
The 2019 fourth overall pick is notoriously streaky, but the Sabres will hope he can maintain his current hot streak for the entirety of their playoff run.
Sabres quick hits
- Jason Zucker and Tyson Kozak both left Game 4 with injuries. Ruff downplayed the severity of the ailments, saying the lopsided score played a role in the team's decision to keep them out, but more information will come when the Sabres return to practice.
- Tage Thompson is having a solid series but he needs to cut down on the turnovers.
- Peyton Krebs continues to play the best hockey of his career (by far) at a perfect time for Buffalo.
- Ruff has done a good job of keeping all of his forward lines and defensive pairs involved throughout the series, but the handful of times he's put the fourth line and third pair on the ice together it's turned into instant, intense pressure for Boston. That should be avoided whenever humanly possible.
- The Bruins are going to come out seeing red on Tuesday night. The Sabres have to match that intensity and avoided the post-whistle antics. They've been the better team in 5-on-5 situations and making sure Game 5 doesn't become a parade to the penalty box is essential.
- Buffalo can close out the series with a home win at the KeyBank Center on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET).
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