The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have officially arrived, and the Boston Bruins will make their return to the postseason. Boston secured the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot, locking in a first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins finished the 2025-26 season with a 45-27-10 record, 100 points and a +22 goal differential.

Bruins Round 1 Playoff Schedule:

• GAME 1: Saturday, April 18 (at BUF)
• GAME 2: Tuesday, April 21 (at BUF)
• GAME 3: Thursday, April 23 (vs. BUF)
• GAME 4: Sunday, April 26 (vs. BUF)
• GAME 5: Tuesday, April 28 (at BUF) \\if necessary\\
• GAME 6: Friday, May 1 (vs. BUF) \\if necessary\\

• GAME 7: Sunday, May 3 (at BUF) \\if necessary\\

  Bruins vs. Sabres Round 1 Fantasy Preview

  • These Atlantic Division foes met four times during the regular season, with the Bruins coming out on top in three of them. If there was one division foe that was able to corral the Sabres, it was the Bruins, and I’m sure the club will be hungry to correct its mistakes from the regular season. These two teams posted virtually the same records across the final 10 games, with Boston going 5-3-2 and Buffalo going 6-3-1. During that 10-game span, the Bruins averaged 3.2 goals per game, while the Sabres averaged 3.4.
  • Both of these teams found the back of the net regularly, with the Sabres and Bruins ranking fifth and 10th in total goals, respectively. Buffalo ranked fourth in 5v5 goals per 60 and third in 5v5 Goals%, all while receiving elite depth production from all four forward lines. Boston profiles rather top-heavy in comparison to Buffalo, but the club ranked seventh in 5v5 goals per 60 and fifth in 5v5 Goals%, so the offense should be there on both sides. The Bruins have two primary areas to take advantage of in this series –– the Sabres’ lack of playoff experience and their inconsistent power play. Buffalo fielded the 21st-ranked power play unit this season, and if it can’t get it going in the playoffs, its usual method of depending on 5v5 production may not work well against a Boston team that allowed the sixth-fewest 5v5 goals against per 60.
  • The special-teams play is going to be very important in this series, as it especially tends to be in the playoffs. The matchup profiles quite well, too, with the Sabres fielding a poor power play unit, and the Bruins fielding a poor penalty kill unit. Interestingly enough, the Sabres ranked fourth in PK%, while the Bruins ranked ninth in PP%, so something has to give. While both offenses can light the lamp consistently, their defenses also don’t allow a ton of goals, either. It is safe to say that Jeremy Swayman has the goaltending advantage, having recorded more playoff starts than all of the Sabres’ goaltenders (Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis) combined. However, I’d give the Sabres’ defense the edge, as their defensive pairings feature a nice mixture of speed, skill and discipline.
  • All in all, Boston has a major edge in playoff experience. It found consistent success against this Buffalo team during the regular season, something that many teams across the league failed to do. David Pastrnak will still be the best player on the ice each night, and it wouldn’t be totally shocking to see the Sabres come out a bit flat and nervous. Swayman is more than capable of stealing a game or two by standing on his head, and the Bruins enter the series much healthier than the Sabres.