Bruins Force Game 6 With Sabres

The Boston Bruins are very much alive in their Atlantic Division playoff series with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Bruins came into the Game 5 contest at KeyBank Center facing elimination. They played their most complete game of the series and came away with a 2-1 overtime victory to force game six on Friday night back at TD Garden in Boston. The Bruins got off the mat on Tuesday night after an embarrassing 6-1 loss on home ice in game four on Sunday Afternoon. Boston controlled the play for much of the night with top performers David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman leading the way.

While some may have left the Bruins for dead and were already looking ahead to the Sabres advancing to round two, the Bruins had other ideas.

“We stepped up in big moments and played with raw emotion,” said Swayman. “Guys, we’re selling out their bodies and really understanding that every play was important and I thought that was pretty contagious throughout the whole night.”

Home has not been a factor thus far, with the Sabres losing two of three meetings in Buffalo and the Bruins dropping both games at TD Garden. The Sabres will be looking to regroup and finish the series on Friday night in Game 6.

“They played a strong game, “ said Buffalo netminder Alex Lyon of the Bruins’ performance in Game 5. “They’re fighting for their lives and that’s what you have to expect when a team has their season on the line. Credit to them. We just have to move forward and start preparing right now.”

As the series goes on, Boston has a significant edge in playoff experience, while the Sabres will need to draw on the resilience that made them the best team in the NHL in the second half of the season and the Atlantic Division Champions.

With a golden game five opportunity to get the series to the finish line lost, the Sabres must pivot their focus quickly to game six and avoid a winner take all game seven on Sunday.