- Matchup: Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins
- Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
- Venue: TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Broadcast: ESPN
- Betting Odds: Sabres (-118) Bruins (-112)
This page may include affiliate links at no extra cost to you, thanks for your support.
On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9) travel to TD Garden aiming to defeat the Boston Bruins (45-27-10) in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series, currently led by Buffalo at 3-2. The odds favor the Sabres at -118 while the Bruins stand at -112, with a betting total set at 5.5.
The Buffalo Sabres are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Bruins in Game 5, where their offense struggled to meet expectations. They managed to score only once from 25 shots and capitalized on 1 out of 3 power play attempts. Buffalo accrued a total of 6 penalty minutes during the match.
This season, Buffalo’s opponents have received 232 power play chances (ranking 19th in the league) and converted 42 into goals. The Sabres faced 2,381 shots against them, holding a .899 save percentage. In total, Buffalo has attempted 2,307 shots with a shooting percentage of 12.3%. At even strength, the Sabres allowed 198 goals while netting 235 for themselves. They’ve had 246 power play opportunities this season, scoring 48 times for a 19.51% success rate. With 109 points, their points percentage stands at .665, putting them 5th in the NHL with 283 total goals scored, while conceding 240.
In goal for this matchup, Alex Lyon will defend the Sabres’ net. Throughout his NHL career, Lyon has faced 395 goals against him, averaging 2.95 goals against per game. With 149 games under his belt, he boasts a save percentage of .903 across 6,072 minutes of play with a career record of 71-48-15, including 134 starts. Lyon has registered 74 quality starts, achieving a quality start rate of .552, having faced 4,065 shots and making 3,670 saves.
The Bruins showed solid defense in Game 5, managing 2 goals on 29 shots attempted. They had 3 power play chances but failed to convert any into goals.
Over the course of the season, the Boston Bruins have netted a total of 268 goals, accumulating 100 points with a points percentage of .610. They allowed 247 goals against, comprising 183 at even strength and 64 while short-handed. The Bruins scored 213 goals during even strength situations, with 55 coming from power plays (ranking 10th in the league) out of 235 opportunities, resulting in a 23.40% conversion rate. They have attempted 2,216 shots (21st in the league) with a shooting percentage of 12.09%, while opponents made 2,435 attempts. Their penalty kill rate stands at 76.98%, successfully stopping 278 power play attempts, alongside a save percentage of 89.9%.
In the crease for the Bruins will be Jeremy Swayman, who holds a career record of 132-80-26 across 245 games played. Swayman has a quality start percentage of 62.4%, achieving 148 quality starts in his career. He’s made 6,208 saves out of 6,825 shots faced, yielding a save rate of .910. His opponents average 2.60 goals against him, with a total of 617 goals allowed. Swayman has started in 237 games and logged 10,205 minutes in net.
Who will take home the victory in tonight’s NHL clash either against the spread or on the moneyline?
Pick: Go with Boston (-112)
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up or make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission always at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping us keep this site running.
