The atmosphere inside KeyBank Center reached a fever pitch Tuesday night as the Buffalo Sabres took the ice for Game 2, fueled by an appearance from a familiar Western New York icon. The Sabres have one of the biggest home ice advantages due to their fans, and they were extra fired up for this due to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Prior to the game, Allen was the person who banged the drum before the puck drop, and fans loved seeing the starting quarterback back in Buffalo, as evidenced by the video Gretchen Beyer tweeted. Josh Allen was in attendance, wearing an Alex Tuch jersey, and finished the appearance with a beverage.
Crossover episode tonight as QB1 bangs the drum ahead of game 2!#Sabres pic.twitter.com/q4IHIxXXYP
— Gretchen Beyer (@gretchenbeyerr) April 21, 2026
Both the Bills and Sabres are owned by Terry Pegula so there is plenty of crossover between the two franchises over the year. During the fall, Sabres players are regularly at Bills games and Bills' players return the favor when the Sabres are playing.
Josh Allen has already etched his name in the franchise history of the Buffalo Bills as he is the first quarterback to win the MVP, which he did for his performance in the 2024 season. While he wasn't the quarterback when the Bills ended their playoff drought, he has helped them make the playoffs seven straight seasons.
Buffalo Sabres hoping to have the same long-term success that the Buffalo Bills have had
The Sabres ended their 14-season playoff drought this season after winning the Atlantic Division. However, they are not just happy to be in the playoffs and have a great chance to make a deep run.
They need to focus on taking it one game at a time, and that mentality helped them stay composed in Game 1, even when down 2-0 midway through the third period. The Sabres would score four straight to win Game 1 and could take a 2-0 series lead to Boston with a win, and some help from the fans in attendance, on Tuesday night.
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