Day 9 of the postseason was defined by a sweep and a series of high-stakes battles that have several Cup contenders on the brink of elimination.
Buffalo Sabres 6, Boston Bruins 1
Buffalo Leads Series 3-1
The Sabres are one win away from their first series victory in nearly two decades. Buffalo erupted for four goals in the first period at TD Garden. The Sabres outshot the Bruins 19-5 in the opening frame, with the home team being serenaded with boos as they skated off the TD Garden ice. During that first period, Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson took a hard hit from the Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson. Peyton Krebs and David Pastrnak went at it after the whistle, while Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov attacked Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin. Zadorov was handed a five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct. The Sabres outshot the Bruins, 35-24. Alex Lyon picked up his second win of the series after making 24 saves.
Colorado Avalanche 5, Los Angeles Kings 1
Colorado Wins Series 4-0
The Colorado Avalanche have completed a clinical sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. In what was an emotional night at Crypto.com Arena, the Avalanche’s speed and depth proved to be too much for an aging Kings core. The game concluded with a massive standing ovation for Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who skated his final NHL minutes. Colorado now becomes the second team to advance to the second round, joining the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
Series Tied 2-2
The Bolts have evened the series and reclaimed home-ice advantage. In a tightly contested battle at the Bell Centre. Brandon Hagel scored twice for Tampa, helping lift them over the Habs. Tampa outshot Montreal 20-18, with Andrei Vasilevskiy picking up the win despite making just 16 saves. Jakub Dobes made 17 stops in the losing effort. Nikita Kucherov and J.J. Moser each had two assists.
Anaheim Ducks 4, Edmonton Oilers 3 (OT)
Anaheim Leads Series 3-1
The Ducks have pushed the Oilers to the edge. In a back-and-forth thriller at the Honda Center, Ryan Poehling played the hero, burying a rebound in overtime to give Anaheim a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Oilers were desperate to turn the series around, giving Tristan Jarry the start in net over Connor Ingram. The team in front of him came out swinging in what felt like a must-win game for the visitors. Just 38 seconds into the contest, Kasperi Kapanen potted his fourth goal of the series to put his team in front. The Ducks are now one win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017.