The Buffalo Sabres were looking to keep the momentum rolling from their 3-1 win in Game 3 on Thursday night. They had an extra day off and that certainly seemed to help as they would win 6-1 after scoring four goals in the first period.
The Sabres have gotten off to a slow start in every game this series until Game 4 but that wasn't the case as Peyton Krebs scored less than five minutes into the game. Less than three minutes after Krebs' goal, the Sabres added to their lead with Josh Doan scoring his first goal of the playoffs and Zach Benson followed with a goal himself about two minutes later.
The final goal of the period was by Bowen Byram, and at that point, it felt like the game was over. It was a scoreless second period as the Bruins were more competitive, but in the third, the Sabres pulled away with goals by Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch.
The goals are going to be the storyline, and it helped take some pressure off Alex Lyon, but he delivered another excellent performance. He was 40 seconds away from a shutout win, but finished the game stopping 21 of 22 shots in this game.
These are some of the key takeaways from the game on Sunday afternoon as the Sabres now have a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins.
Alex Tuch continues to make plays for the Sabres
Alex Tuch has been one of the most consistent Buffalo Sabres players in this series, as he has seemingly made plays every game so far. In Game 4, it was no different, and he helped the Sabres finally score a first-period goal.
On the play, Tuch was in a position where he easily could have shot it, but saw Peyton Krebs skating in. He delivered a beautiful pass that set Krebs up to get the puck by Jeremy Swayman and score the first goal of this game.
Tuch wasn't done there as he would add a goal in the third period to extend the Sabres' lead to six after Tage Thompson found him in front of the net.
Tuch, who is finally getting a chance to play in the playoffs with the Buffalo Sabres, is making the most of his opportunities. He now has a point in each game this series and has three goals and three assists in total.
Josh Doan takes a big hit in the first period and responds by helping on the scoreboard
Early in the game, Josh Doan took a big hit at center ice, and it wasn't clear if he would be able to return. The Sabres' forward did return and made his presence known with a goal just as the power play was expiring.
It was Doan's first career goal in the playoffs, and then about two minutes later, he recorded his first career assist in the playoffs. The assist on Zach Benson's goal was what fans have come to expect from Doan, as he was able to make the play happen with his hustle on the forecheck. He was able to disrupt the Bruins' player and get the puck to Benson as he was going to the net.
Josh Doan was relatively quiet through the first three games of this series, but when he is playing as he did in Game 4, the Sabres show just how tough they are to beat.
Bo Byram - Owen Power continue to produce on offense
The Buffalo Sabres have been getting excellent production from their defense in the offensive zone, and Bowen Byram is one of the key reasons for that. He would score in the first period and extend his goal-scoring streak to three games.
However, Byram isn't the only player on this pair producing as Owen Power set up Byram for the goal, and has had an assist in all four games this series. The former first-overall pick made franchise history with the assist, as he is the first player to record an assist in the first four playoff games in his career.
There isn't really any team in the NHL that has a blueline like the Sabres, where they have four players who consistently can join the rush and make plays in the offensive zone. It has been one of the big differences in this series.
Buffalo Sabres have now scored nine straight goals in this series
There are not many fans who could have expected this game to go the way it did, but there were some signs that momentum was swinging in the Sabres' favor. After scoring six goals in this game, they have now scored nine consecutive goals, dating back to Game 3.
The Sabres finished Game 3 with the final three goals, with Bowen Byram, Alex Tuch, and Noah Ostlund scoring after the Bruins opened the scoring. It may have taken longer than expected, but it is clear that the Sabres' offense has unlocked something, and the Bruins are struggling to defend it.
They will be returning home for Game 5 on Tuesday night with a chance to secure the series win and advance.
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