BOSTON — Sabres coach Lindy Ruff shut down any talk of putting forwards Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker back in after injuries sent them to the locker room late in Game 4 of Buffalo’s first-round playoff series against the Bruins.
“I said ‘There’s no need to return at this time,’” Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston. “Just treat them and leave them in the dressing room. Just for where the game was at.”
It was that kind of day for Buffalo — and Boston.
Josh Doan had a goal and an assist during Buffalo’s four-goal first-period, and Alex Lyon stopped 21 shots to help the Sabres take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Buffalo, which fell behind in each of the first three games, took a 6-0 lead before the Bruins got on the board in the final minute.
“I am embarrassed, and we all should be,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “And we’re all (upset), and we will talk about it, but then we have to move on.
“As far as I know, you have to win four games to move on. They’ve got three, so that means we still have a chance,” he said. “And I can cry about it, but I also have to push my guys for the next game and make sure our intensity is going to be there.”
Peyton Krebs, Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also scored to help Buffalo open a 4-0 lead. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch scored 84 seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-0 and chase Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
Boston split the games in Buffalo and needed just one win at home to avoid moving to the brink of elimination. Instead the Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division to end an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, can finish off the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Buffalo for their first playoff series win since 2007.
“They beat us once in our building, so I’m sure that they’re going to come in feeling confident and motivated. We have to be ready for that,” Lyon said. “Sometimes when you have a really good game, it’s almost harder to a degree to curb that emotion. So, enjoy it for a hot second, and then we’ve got a job to do.”
Swayman stopped 23 shots for Boston before he was pulled at 46 minutes, 41 seconds, shouting down the bench in frustration as he left the ice. Joonas Korpisalo stopped all six shots he faced the rest of the way.
“At least the one guy” showed emotion, Sturm said. “It was not his fault today, I can tell you that. Felt bad for him. That’s why we kept him in there for a while, because he’s a battler. He wants to be in.”
Krebs scored 4:17 into the game, Doan’s goal came less than three minutes later and Benson followed two minutes after that. When Byram made it 4-0 just 14:24 into the game, it was Buffalo’s second four-goal period of the series; the Sabres rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit to win 4-3 in Game 1.
The last time the Bruins allowed four goals in the first period of a playoff game, they were facing the Hartford Whalers in the first round of the 1991 postseason.
Sean Kuraly scored a short-handed goal in the final minute to avert the Bruins’ first shoutout of the season.
TheSabres lost Kozak after a hit from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy midway through the third period sent him into the boards. It wasn’t clear what happened to Zucker, who last appeared in the play-by-play with about five minutes left.
Buffalo’s power-play woes continued — sort of. After failing to score on their first 13 man advantages in the series — and their last 22 in the regular season — the Sabres’ second goal came just after a Boston penalty expired, but before Viktor Arvidsson had gotten back into play.
But they were officially 0 for 2 on the power play, extending their drought to 15 in the series and 37 overall.
“You could say we’re going to be 0-for-whatever. I really don’t care right now,” Ruff said. “As far as I’m concerned, we scored a power-play goal. The guy was still in the box, and it looked good.”
Up next
The Sabres will have a chance to eliminate Boston in Buffalo on Tuesday night, with a Game 6 back at the TD Garden on Friday, if necessary.
