Geekie, Pastrnak Each Post Three Points in Game 1 Loss to Buffalo

BUFFALO –– The Boston Bruins learned a hard lesson on Sunday at KeyBank Center.

​After leading 2-0 with just under eight minutes remaining in the third period of Game 1, the Buffalo Sabres came back to secure a 4-3 win in regulation.

“I thought we were in the perfect spot. We were exactly where we wanted to play. Being in that position, five, six minutes left in the game. You could tell, they got a little bit frustrated and made pretty much two mistakes to let them tie up the game,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “It is a long series, and we’re prepared. We want to come here to Buffalo and get a win. We didn’t get it today, so we’re going to try our best to get it next game.”

The B’s had a sound start. Morgan Geekie settled a rambunctious and rowdy crowd in the first period with his first goal of the playoffs, and seventh of his postseason career. Former Sabre Nikita Zadorov dished it over to David Pastrnak to carry into the zone. Pastrnak’s ensuing shot got blocked, and Geekie found the loose puck in the slot and blasted it past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for the 1-0 lead at 10:52. Geekie and Pastrnak remained on the first line with Elias Lindholm.​

“We played with each other the last couple games of the year, and thought our chemistry kind of came back a bit from earlier in the season. It was nice to get one early and just try to build off it like that,” Geekie said. “I thought we played solid on both ends of the rink. A few things to clean up, like always, but just try to continue to feed off each other and create offense.”  

The Sabres made an expected heavy push in the middle frame, but the Bruins held on and defended their advantage going into the third period. It was Geekie, again, who got the offense going for Boston, this time with an assist – and his second point of the night.

Pastrnak corralled the puck behind the net, popping it out to Geekie on the doorstep, who ripped it off Luukkonen and the post. Lindholm was there to swiftly knock in the rebound, making it 2-0 at 1:08. It was Lindholm’s 14th career playoff tally.

“Obviously, a tough outcome. We had a good lead, we got the second goal early in the third, and didn’t get the job done,” Pastrnak said. “The will is there, it’s been there all year with this group. We just have to regroup again, come to work tomorrow, see what we did wrong in those last 10 minutes, and improve for Game 2.”

Buffalo pulled within one, 2-1, with a wrap-around shot from Tage Thompson at 12:02. Thompson found the 2-2 equalizer at 15:44 before Mattias Samuelsson put the Sabres ahead 3-2 at 16:36. Alex Tuch’s empty-net goal with 1:12 remaining put his team up 4-2.

“I think we just have to play a full 60. And they capitalized on their opportunities. It’s important and, you know, kudos to them. But every shift is so important and critical in a series, in a game like today,” Jeremy Swayman said. “That’s just our job, to really take it one shift at a time to make sure that we’re capitalizing on ours and taking care of our zone.”

​Swayman made 34 saves on Sunday, helping keep his team in the fight throughout the night.

“He was great. He made a lot of big stops for us. There’s nothing more you can ask for,” Geekie said. “We’ve got to find a way to lower the quality of chances that he’s seeing and kind of just take care of our own end a little better and be a little stronger on the walls and getting pucks out. Sway is Sway – he is going to come to battle every night, and we’re right behind him, for sure.”

Pastrnak potted a power-play goal at 19:52 to bring the game to its final 4-3 standing. It was his third point of the matchup; Geekie also collected his third point with an assist on the play.

​The Bruins will be back in action on Tuesday at KeyBank Center for the second game of the first-round series.

“I think the emotions of playoffs kind of run high and low. It’s just trying not to lose that will and that belief in this room,” Geekie said. “We’ve got a great group in here that kind of believes that we have the group to continue to put ourselves in good positions, and we’re going to try to do that in Game 2.”