2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: 3 Takeaways From Boston Bruins' Game 5 Win Over Buffalo Sabres

BUFFALO – The easiest thing anyone could've done after the Buffalo Sabres embarrassed the Boston Bruins in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead was to dismiss the Bruins out of hand and declare the series was over.

The problem with doing that, however, was ignoring everything that made this year's Bruins team a playoff team.

Facing elimination on the road, David Pastrňák threw a blanket on the hopes of a sellout crowd at KeyBank Center looking to celebrate with his overtime winner and sent the series back to Boston with a 2-1 win.

The scene now shifts back to Boston for another do-or-die contest for the Bruins on Friday night at TD Garden.

Let's dive deeper into Game 5 with three takeaways from a thrilling overtime game.

Pasta Comes Through in the Clutch

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Unless you've been under a rock, you'll know that David Pastrňák is a star in the NHL. And he's the straw that stirs the drink for the Bruins.

It's why there was little surprise that he was the game-winning goal scorer Tuesday night.

The star winger somehow managed to stay onside after a great pass from Hampus Lindholm and put Game 5 to rest with a tremendous deke to get the puck past a helpless Alex Lyon in goal.

"I'm telling you this, there are only a few players, I think, who can do that," Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. "What I mean by that, it's not the finish, but the way he doesn't go offside. That's not the first time… But this year it was, I don't know how many times, it was the same thing. He somehow, he always gets it done. And what a nice finish from him. I'm just very happy because this guy puts a lot of pressure on himself and he wants to be the difference. And today he was."

The goal was the 41st of his career in the playoffs and it was the second time he scored in overtime and the second time he scored in overtime to help the Bruins stave off elimination. The last time he did it was in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 first round. The guy who set him up then, Lindholm, did so again on Tuesday night.

"The funny thing is, we barely talk about those plays," Pastrňák said. "Obviously, we are close friends and spend a lot of time together, but hockey-wise or plays-wise, we never really talk. But, as I said, there are so many moments, even during a season and regular season, where he just found me, and I'm ready. But at the same time, you're still, sometimes, surprised."

Bruins Find a Way to Rally After Falling Behind Early

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The road for the Bruins' overtime glory wasn't without its own peril, of course.

On top of having their backs to the wall, the Bruins needed to redeem themselves after Sunday's complete meltdown on home ice. Showing fortitude after falling behind in Game 5 proved the visitors still had some fight left in their tanks.

The Sabres jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal 3:35 into the game. It was the Sabres first goal with the man advantage in the month of April, never mind the playoffs. With the crowd now fully engaged and chanting Jeremy Swayman's name, the Bruins could've wilted. Instead, they settled down and found their game.

"You know you can put your best foot forward and sometimes it (can) still bounce and be [crappy], but we knew we were just going to come back, and we weren't going to stop tonight," Bruins forward Sean Kuraly said. "I think we looked at each other in the eye and said this was going to be one where we were going to play a full 60 minutes, no matter."

Boston hunkered down defensively. They played more physically. They blocked 26 Sabres shot attempts. In essence, they played Bruins hockey the way they wanted to.

"I think we just we stepped up in big moments and played with raw emotion, and guys were selling out their bodies and understanding that every play was important," Swayman said. "I thought that was pretty contagious throughout the whole night."

This Series is Far From Over and the Bruins Have Life

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After all the drama that went down in Game 4—being down 4-0 after the first period, giving up two more goals quickly in the third period to go down 6-0 that led to Swayman finally being pulled and yelling at his team and coaches on the way off the ice—coming back after all of that noise swirling around and then winning in OT, you could excuse Bruins fans for being exhausted with all of that.

How this team got to the playoffs and rebounded from a truly miserable season a year ago, however, is part of why they're in the postseason.

"Sometimes you have to learn the hard way, but overall, this team never quits, and always finds a way to bounce back," Sturm said. "That's for me is character, it's attitude and just being there for each other. I think that's the biggest thing what we created this year."

With Game 4's nightmare long gone in the past, at least as far as hockey player memory works, and the boost from staving off elimination in Game 5 to head home for a must-win Game 6, it's the kind of thing that plays into the Bruins' hands for making moments out of nowhere. It's just another example of how they've been able to shake off being counted out.

You might say they play better when you think they're done and dusted.

"I think we've done it all year," Hampus Lindholm said. "It's fun to be an underdog. I think a lot of people counted us out. They're probably going to count us out at home there, too, when we get home. But we're a tight group in here, we know what we can do out there, we play for each other and then we'll see what happens."