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Pastrnak OT Goal Gives Bruins 2-1 Win, Trail Sabres 3-2

4/30/2026

29 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Pastrnak Overtime Winner

David Pastrnak scored the overtime winner at 9:14 of OT on April 28, 2026, giving Boston a 2-1 win over Buffalo in Game 5.
Rasmus Dahlin opened scoring with a power-play goal at 3:35 of the first period.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 of 27 shots to force overtime.
The win cut the series to 3-2 in Buffalo’s favor, set Game 6 for May 1, 2026, and gave Pastrnak his second playoff overtime winner, the first in 2024.

Summary

Sturm Revamps Lineup

Coach Marco Sturm overhauled the Bruins' lineup, putting Marat Khusnutdinov with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak on the first line and adding three playoff debutants.
Viktor Arvidsson missed Game 5 with an upper-body injury, a detail told to the squad minutes before tip-off.
Lindholm forced a turnover by Khusnutdinov and delivered the outlet pass that led to Pastrnak’s overtime winner.

Summary

Swayman 24 Saves

Jeremy Swayman recorded 24 saves, prompting coach Marco Sturm to say he was “so much better tonight.”
Mark Kastelic received an early roughing penalty for punching Zach Benson, giving Buffalo a power play that produced Rasmus Dahlin’s first-period goal.
Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET in Boston’s TD Garden and will air on ESPN, TVAS2 and SN360.

Summary

Sabres OT Loss

The Sabres lost in overtime, leaving Buffalo jittery after a dominant performance two games earlier.
The loss of forward Owen Ostlund disrupted Buffalo’s offense and contributed to the nervous play.
Buffalo’s home playoff record slipped to 1-2, prompting concerns about protecting the arena.
Observers warned the series could extend to a seventh game unless the Sabres increase offensive urgency.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the New York Rangers broke a 54-year championship drought by winning Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final 2-1 in overtime, a feat highlighted by captain Mark Messier’s decisive goal. The victory followed two consecutive seven-game series—a first in NHL history—and marked the Rangers’ first Eastern Conference title since 1974, reviving a franchise long starved of cups.

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Pastrnak Overtime Winner

David Pastrnak scored the overtime winner at 9:14 of OT on April 28, 2026, giving Boston a 2-1 win over Buffalo in Game 5.
Rasmus Dahlin opened scoring with a power-play goal at 3:35 of the first period.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 of 27 shots to force overtime.
The win cut the series to 3-2 in Buffalo’s favor, set Game 6 for May 1, 2026, and gave Pastrnak his second playoff overtime winner, the first in 2024.

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