Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves on 25 shots in Tuesday night's 2-1 overtime victory at KeyBank Center, posting a .960 save percentage that allowed Boston to survive elimination and force Game 6. Alex Lyon stopped 27 of 29 for a .931 mark - competent work that still left Buffalo one goal short of closing out the series on home ice.
That 2.9 percentage point gap doesn't capture the texture of the goaltending battle, but it reflects the basic reality: in a first-round playoff game where Buffalo led the series 3-1 and needed one more win to advance, Swayman made the extra save that mattered. Lyon didn't.
The series now shifts back to TD Garden with Boston trailing 3-2. Buffalo will get another chance to finish this, but they let the opportunity slip through at home.
How It Happened
Rasmus Dahlin opened the scoring at 3:35 of the first period on the power play, converting feeds from Jason Zucker and Tage Thompson. The goal gave Buffalo the early lead in a game where they could have ended Boston's season.
Boston answered in the second period when Elias Lindholm beat Lyon unassisted at 9:24, tying the score at 1-1. The goal came at even strength and erased Buffalo's advantage heading into the third period.
Neither team scored through the final 20 minutes of regulation, setting up overtime with the series on the line.
David Pastrnak ended it at 9:14 of the extra frame, assisted by Hampus Lindholm, to complete Boston's rally from the first-period deficit. The goal forced Game 6 and extended Boston's season by at least one more game.
The Physical Battle
Boston recorded 43 hits to Buffalo's 27, playing a more aggressive checking game that forced the Sabres to work harder for clean zone entries. The shot count favored Boston 29-25, though neither team established sustained shot-share advantage over 69 minutes of hockey.
The special teams battle saw Buffalo convert once on the power play with Dahlin's opening tally. Boston had three power play opportunities but failed to score on any of them.
The faceoff dot belonged to Boston, who won 34 of 57 draws (59.6%) compared to Buffalo's 23 wins. That edge helped the Bruins control puck possession in critical defensive zone situations, limiting Buffalo's ability to generate sustained pressure in the third period and overtime.
Goaltending Under Pressure
Swayman's 24-save performance on 25 shots gave Boston the margin they needed in an elimination game. Facing a Buffalo offense that had scored six goals in Game 4 just two nights earlier, he allowed only Dahlin's power play marker in the first period, then shut the door for the final 49 minutes of playing time.
Lyon stopped 27 of 29 shots but couldn't prevent both Lindholm's second-period equalizer and Pastrnak's overtime winner. In a game where Buffalo controlled their own fate, the difference in the crease decided the outcome.
The goaltending gap wasn't about Lyon playing poorly - his .931 save percentage would win most regular season games. But in a playoff elimination scenario where both netminders faced similar workloads, Swayman's .960 mark proved to be the difference between Buffalo advancing and Boston surviving to play another day.
Dahlin's Minutes and Production
Rasmus Dahlin logged 29:01 of ice time, the highest total of any player in the game, and provided Buffalo's only offense with his first-period power play goal. He fired three shots on net and was on the ice for heavy defensive assignments against Boston's top lines.
The minutes reflect Buffalo's reliance on their top defenseman in all situations, but Dahlin couldn't prevent the two Boston goals that sent his team home empty-handed despite the chance to close out the series.
What the Numbers Reveal
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29-25 shot advantage for Boston - The Bruins generated slightly more volume, but neither team dominated territorially. The three-shot edge mattered less than the quality of saves at each end.
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34-23 faceoff edge for Boston - The Bruins won 59.6% of draws, helping them control defensive zone possessions when protecting the tie late in regulation.
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29:01 ice time for Rasmus Dahlin - Buffalo's top defenseman led all players in TOI, scoring their only goal but unable to spark additional offense in the final two periods.
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1-for-3 power play for Buffalo - The Sabres converted once on three opportunities, with Dahlin's first-period goal providing their lone offensive output. Boston went 0-for-3 on the man advantage.
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43-27 hit differential - Boston's physical engagement forced Buffalo to work harder for zone entries and clean offensive possessions.
Series Context
Boston now trails the series 3-2 heading back to TD Garden for Game 6. Buffalo had the chance to advance on home ice but couldn't solve Swayman often enough in a game that remained tied for nearly 50 minutes.
The Bruins secured two standings points with the overtime victory and bought themselves at least one more game. Buffalo earned one point for the overtime loss but will need to regroup before attempting to close out the series on the road.
For Boston, Pastrnak's overtime heroics keep their postseason alive after falling behind 3-1 in the series. For Buffalo, Tuesday night represented a missed opportunity to finish what they started - and now they'll have to do it in a hostile building where the margin for error disappears entirely.