The Buffalo Sabres steamrolled the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division rivals' first-round playoff series on Sunday, earning them a 3-1 series lead and an opportunity to advance with a victory in front of the KeyBank Center faithful on Tuesday night.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportnet was highly impressed with the Sabres' performance in a dominant 6-1 road win that featured four goals in the first period, and he admitted the Blue and Gold are starting to show some signs that point toward legitimate contention.
"Game 5 in Buffalo is gonna be insane. A chance to win a playoff series, I can't imagine what that crowd is gonna be like," Friedman said Monday on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "The Bruins made all the giveaways and the Sabres, to their credit, [took advantage]. You know, that's what good teams do. You're up 2-1 in a series and you get a chance to get a stranglehold and you do it. They took every one of the Bruins' mistakes and they put it in the net.
"I really do believe that's what true Stanley Cup contenders do. They make you pay for your mistakes and they don't let off the gas. Watching Buffalo win that game like that, that's when you look at a team and say, 'Boy, that team has what it takes. That's a winner.'"
The Sabres got caught up trying to win the physical battle with the Bruins in the first two games of the series. It led to slower-paced games with far fewer scoring chances, and they were lucky to score a comeback victory in Game 1 to avoid an 0-2 hole.
Everything changed in Boston. Buffalo got back to what made it the NHL's best team from early December through the end of the regular season. It picked up the tempo, put constant pressure on the B's blue line and finally generated more dangerous looks around the net.
The Bruins will try to muck it up again in Game 5, especially early in the first period. The Sabres must avoid the post-whistle nonsense, focus on opening up the game in 5-on-5 situations and make sure to maintain the immense forechecking pressure on display Sunday.
If they do, head coach Lindy Ruff's group will be in a great position to close out the B's and earn themselves a little time off while the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, who are currently tied 2-2, play out the remainder of their tightly contested series.
Buffalo Sabres' championship odds continue to rise amid first-round battle with Boston Bruins
The Sabres entered the 2026 NHL Playoffs with the sixth-best odds to win the Stanley Cup at 7%.
They've climbed up to fourth among the clubs most likely to raise Lord Stanley at 9% behind only the Colorado Avalanche (22%), Carolina Hurricanes (21%) and Lightning (10%), according to HockeyStats.com.
Defenseman Bowen Byram, who's been the best player on the ice for the past three games, warned his teammates the job is far from done against the Bruins, though.
"We've done a good job in this series, but the fourth one is always the hardest," Byram told reporters. "We'll all enjoy it and get ready to go again."
The 24-year-old Canadian blueliner previously won a Cup with the Avs in 2022., so he's speaking from experience about the realities of trying to end an opponent's season.
Yet, while the players must remain focused on the present, it's OK for Sabres fans to start daydreaming about a deep postseason run. It's a realistic potential outcome.
Buffalo, which won 39 of its final 53 regular-season games, has done a terrific job of imposing its will on opponents since its remarkable turnaround began with a Dec. 9 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
The Sabres are at their best when playing an up-tempo style of hockey with a relentless forecheck and an active defense corps that's never afraid to join the rush. The consistent flow of five players moving up the ice puts incredible pressure on the other team compete for every inch of ice.
They got away from that approach early in the series against the Bruins, which raised questions about whether the young Buffalo roster was truly ready for playoff hockey, but the last two contests have pushed those concerns to the back burner.
Does that mean the Sabres are ready to take down the Avs or Canes? It's hard to say. Colorado and Carolina have been the class of the NHL for pretty much the entire campaign, and Buffalo would be an underdog in a hypothetical matchup with those top contenders.
That said, the Blue and Gold have also proven they're capable of putting up a fight against anybody when playing their best hockey, and that's exactly what's been on display for the past five periods.
The next challenge is trying to maintain that level of dominance when the Bruins are fighting for their playoff lives in Game 5.
A win Tuesday night would be another strong signal the Sabres are trending in a promising direction.
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