By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
The Boston Bruins are quite familiar with their first round opponent in these 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Bruins faced off against the Atlantic Division-winning Buffalo Sabres four times in the regular season.
Here is what transpired during those four contests. The Bruins and Sabres played competitive and entertaining games.
October 11th/30th
Back in the first month of the campaign, the Bruins bested the Sabres twice. In both October matchups, Boston was victorious on home ice, winning the first game 3-1 and the second contest 4-3. Marat Khusnutdinov potted the overtime winner to send the TD Garden crowd home happy.
The Sabres did not get off to a good start this season. But as the year wore on, Buffalo really found their stride and become a much tougher team to play agiant.
December 27th/March 25th
After returning from the Christmas break, Joonas Korpisalo got the start between Boston’s pipes in Buffalo. The netminder played well, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was dynamite for the Sabres, as only David Pastrnak managed to get the puck by him that evening. Buffalo won the game 4-1.
In probably the most valuable game to look back on from the regular season involving both these teams, the Bruins got a game-tying score from Casey Mittelstadt late in the third period. Boston grabbed the extra point in overtime thanks to Pavel Zacha, who was in the midst of his incredible hot streak that month.
So, the Bruins finished with a record of 3-1-0 against the Sabers. Two of Boston’s three wins came courtesy of three-on-three overtime play.
Keep an eye on
There are some interesting takeaways from this season series between the two teams. Both starting goaltenders, Jeremy Swayman and Luukkonen, combined for only three of the possible eight starts in the season series.
While both have many years of experience battling the other franchise, neither saw much action this season against the 2025-2026 rosters. It will be interesting to see how this aspect impacts both goaltenders in the series.
The two most dynamic players on both teams are Tage Thompson and Pastrnak. This season, the Bruins winger was elite against the Sabres, potting three goals and dishing out three helpers. It was tied for Pastrnak’s second-highest point total against an opponent this season.
Thompson was also very effective against Boston, as the talented forward picked up five assists in four games versus the Bruins. Despite not scoring a goal, Thompson still found a way to contribute offensively over the season series.
Igniting an old flame
The intensity should be very high as these division foes get ready to square off in a postseason series for the first time since 2010. Both starting goaltenders will be locked in, and the best players will be ready for a competitive, hard-hitting series.
If Boston is fired up for playoff hockey to be back after a one-year hiatus, Buffalo will be ready to explode with the Sabres back in the postseason for the first time since 2011. The crowds will only add to the intensity of this exciting first round matchup.
Game 1 between these two teams will take place this evening in Buffalo. If you want to see the Black and Gold in person at TD Garden or on the road during the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, consider using this official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link here for the most competitive concert and sporting event tickets in the North American region.
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