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Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon stops Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak from a sharp angle (Winslow Townson-Imagn Images)

3 Takeaways From Sabres’ Nailbiter Loss vs. Bruins

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jean Patrick Vidad | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Charlie McAvoy stifled Tage Thompson’s game-tying shot en route to Sean Kuraly burying the empty net finisher, lifting the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres, 3-1, to remain undefeated in the ongoing NHL regular season at TD Garden, moments earlier.

The Sabres, who were struggling to find the net for their first goal of the game and of the season, found reinvigoration after Mattias Samuelsson broke a play from the neutral zone, feeding the puck to Jason Zucker, who patiently took control of it before sniping a wrist shot from the middle of the left faceoff circle, trimming the deficit to 2-1.

The game’s tone suddenly shifted, with Buffalo riding on the momentum from their first point. The Sabres fired the puck on all cylinders, with Thompson flicking a shot from the left faceoff circle, followed by their best chance of nabbing their equalizer when the puck hit Nikita Zadorov’s leg, which bounced off the right wall and almost into the net. Despite missing their chances on offense, their defense managed to keep the game a one-point affair, bracing the fans for a nervous ending.

The fans held their breath as coach Lindy Ruff pulled goalie Alex Lyon in the final stretches of the third frame. Buffalo’s hustle was all seen, sprinting from one end to another to deny the Bruins’ scoring chances, including a Ryan McLeod save on a rolling puck that was about to enter the goal. The game went down to a last possession, where a turnover led to the Bruins escaping with a 3-1 victory.

A Tale of Opposite First Periods

The first period concluded with the Bruins outshooting the Sabres 17-2. While the Sabres struggled to generate some offense, the Bruins’ persistent shot creation eventually earned them a point. Boston’s early chances mostly came from its superstar, David Pastrnak. Pastrnak went on an odd-man rush, but Connor Timmins’ body checking allowed Lyon to get to the puck and stop the play.

The Bruins rushed again, this time in a 3-on-1 chance with Tanner Jeannot giving and going with Fraser Minten, until Minten unleashed a shot, only to be denied by Lyon. After hammering the Sabres’ net with their offense, Pavel Zacha stepped up from Bowen Byram’s guard to the middle of the left faceoff circle to drill a one-timer wrist shot from defenseman Andrew Peeke, giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Lyon Kept the Game Within Reach

A silver lining from this team’s loss came from Lyon’s solid netminding. The Bruins went firing off the gates, spraying the Sabres’ net with an ample amount of shots. Lyon stifled Boston’s six attempts in the first ten minutes of the game. To end the first frame, he caught Pastrnak’s slap shot, laying him down with a loose puck, which the skaters cleared.

Lyon made another spectacular save when he reached out for forward Elias Lindholm’s backdoor dump. His aggressive style of anchoring the crease was evident, and in part because of the situations he was placed in. He came up to nab another save against Pastrnak since Rasmus Dahlin was hanging with the Bruins’ standout.

Special Teams Was Half Good

So far, the Sabres’ penalty kill has prevented seven power-play scores. On the other hand, their man-advantage units have failed to capitalize on even a chance. Their play on the penalty kill was highlighted by crisp defensive execution, with quick rotations and well-utilized sticks. Justin Danforth stepped up onto Pastrnak to buy time for the group to get back into form, ultimately foiling the Bruins.

Boston gained opportunities, however, on the man advantage. Minten intercepted the puck and slipped it to Jeanot in a shorthanded breakaway opportunity, but Lyon balked their chance. Although they didn’t convert on these opportunities, continued work on Lyon paved the way for a goal. Mark Kastelic flipped a wrist shot from the wall near the top of the right faceoff circle, with deflections in front, to stretch the gap to 2-0 for the Bruins.

What’s Next?

The Sabres will return to Buffalo with a tough three-game home stretch against the Colorado Avalanche, the Ottawa Senators, and the defending champions, the Florida Panthers. The team will look to build on the positives from this game to finally find the win column.