Sabres complete insane rally against Bruins for first playoff win in 15 years

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thompson-tage/lvRtlzSi/"]Tage Thompson[/a] would finish with two goals and an assist as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/buffalo-sabres/UobjtMIP/"]Sabres[/a] completed just the second multi-goal playoff comeback in franchise history with their 4-3 win. [/p][p]Buffalo's Alex Tuch would lead all players with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=UgUBI7op"]an almost perfect 9.6 player rating[/a] for the game.[/p][p]Despite the Sabres putting up 13 shots and 23 hits in the first period alone, it was the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-bruins/jeans23J/"]Bruins[/a] who entered the first intermission with the lead. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geekie-morgan/YaldagM6/"]Morgan Geekie[/a] would rip one by Buffalo goalie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luukkonen-ukko-pekka/zmFi40uk/"]Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen[/a] with a clear shot out in front of the net to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=UgUBI7op"]1-0[/a]. [/b][/p][p]The goal marked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pastrnak-david/dnZgEHz4/"]David Pastrnak[/a]'s assist marked his 88th career playoff point, tying Wayne Cashman for ninth-most in Bruins history. [/p][embed guid="f109c488-7c31-45cc-9704-fbe3300dcade" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2046017895017206198?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Thanks to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zucker-jason/YHBrijkd/"]Jason Zucker[/a] two-minute minor for holding, the Bruins would start the second period with a man advantage for the first 50 seconds. [/p][p]It would quickly switch up to a power play for the Sabres after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zacha-pavel/KxfjGhPe/"]Pavel Zacha[/a] was given a two-minute minor for holding, but Buffalo couldn't capitalize, nor could they on their second power play of the period just 12 minutes later. [/p][p]It was the first time since Thanksgiving that the Sabres were held scoreless through the first two periods, despite outshooting Boston 27-13. [/p][p]The Bruins only managed to put up four total shots in the second period alone. [/p][p][b]A minute into the third, Geekie and Pastrnak would tally the assists for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindholm-elias/vmvqcVUh/"]Elias Lindholm[/a]'s first goal of the playoffs as the Bruins went up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=UgUBI7op"]2-0[/a]. [/b][/p][embed guid="70542ad8-7547-4e14-a1cc-4706190b4337" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2046043309668225329?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]With 7:58 left to go in the game, the Sabres finally started to show life as they cut the lead in half, sending the Buffalo faithful into a frenzy inside and outside the arena. [/p][p][b]It would take 33 shots to do it, but Buffalo's Thompson would make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=UgUBI7op"]2-1[/a] in his playoff debut with a wrap-around to finally get one past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swayman-jeremy/Y9cpYDvq/"]Jeremy Swayman[/a]. [/b][/p][p]Then, three minutes later on the Sabres' 37th shot on goal, they would tie it 2-2 as they continued their rally. [/p][p][b]Who else but Thomspon to score his second goal of the game to put his Sabres in a position to complete the rally. [/b][/p][p]Following the goal, both the Sabres and Bruins received two roughing penalties each as both teams started to clash on the boards. The game remained a five-on-five with 3:47 left where the Sabres would complete the rally.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samuelsson-mattias/ML8sCJsA/"]Mattias Samuelsson[/a] would put the Sabres up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=UgUBI7op"]3-2[/a] as they scored three straight goals within the span of four minutes.[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuch-alex/fi2K37wb/"]Tuch[/a] would send home the empty-netter on a Thompson assist to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=UgUBI7op"]4-2.[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="9379c8e0-77e0-48a1-97f3-83c1776654e5" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtIVOJQRzcA" social-type="youtube" /][p]Pastrnak would score with just a few seconds left, assisted by Geekie, to make it a 4-3 game, but it wouldn't be enough as the Sabres take home the Game 1 victory after outshooting Boston 38-20 as both teams would combine for 91 hits. [/p][p]Luukkonen would also earn his first career playoff win. [/p][p]Game 2 between the Bruins and Sabres will take place on Tuesday, April 21st, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. [/p]