Pastrnak OT – David Pastrnak scored in overtime as the Bruins beat the Sabres 2-1 in Game 5, forcing Game 6 in Boston after a brutal Game 4 bounce-back.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Facing elimination, the Boston Bruins found the sort of hockey that turns pressure into momentum, not panic, and David Pastrnak delivered the decisive reminder.
In a Game 5 that felt like a referendum on whether Boston could recover after a brutal home-ice defeat. Pastrnak’s overtime goal gave the Bruins a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Arena and kept the series alive.. With the focus on clutch execution. the Pastrnak OT winner arrived 9:14 into overtime after a sharp counter play sparked by Hampus Lindholm.
The goal carried that familiar “neighbours” chemistry.. Lindholm won the puck after Marat Khusnutdinov knocked it off Peyton Krebs’ blade, then quickly fed Pastrnak into open ice.. Once Pastrnak had separation, he did what he’s become known for—accelerate into space, stay composed, and finish.. It also wasn’t the first time this pairing has produced a knockout moment; the same Lindholm-to-Pastrnak connection helped set up an overtime winner for Boston against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024.
That history matters, but so does what happened before the puck ever reached Pastrnak.. Buffalo had pushed for an end-to-end run in the Bruins’ zone. pressing as if a series-closing path was right there for the taking.. Boston’s response wasn’t just about surviving the pressure; it was about reading the play well enough to create a transition the moment the Sabres’ timing faltered.. When Lindholm seized the loose puck and Pastrnak slipped into the gap, the game’s balance shifted instantly.
Boston’s coaching staff also pointed to the subtle details that make big moments repeatable.. Marco Sturm credited Pastrnak’s ability to pivot and control the puck without getting caught offside—an efficiency that turns what could be a risky play into a reliable scoring route.. Pastrnak’s takeaway and shot weren’t the only story. though; the Bruins’ effort across the lineup signaled a team treating every shift like it mattered.
Game 5 wasn’t just about star talent.. Boston leaned on depth contributions from players seeing their first playoff action. including defenders Henri Jokiharju and forwards Michael Eyssimont and Alex Steeves. who helped hold the line when the series stakes spiked.. In a matchup where the earlier narrative could have swallowed the whole season—especially after Game 4’s 6-1 home loss—Boston instead chose the harder path: respond. compete. and keep the game within reach.
That Game 4 left a bruise.. Boston’s first period struggles—mistake after mistake. a 4-0 deficit early. and a rout that made the margin feel merciless—created a dangerous emotional backdrop.. If there was a turning point needed. it was here: a full-60-minute response while trying to correct the idea that they might not be built for postseason survival.
Sean Kuraly described it as a mindset shift made clear in the locker room: Boston wouldn’t stop. and they would play a complete game no matter what the scoreboard demanded.. The Bruins’ reward for that approach was visible in how they handled the opening punch.. Buffalo struck first with a power-play goal 3:35 into the game. and after a stretch where the Sabres had every reason to believe momentum could stay on their side. the early goal set up exactly the kind of test Boston didn’t want.
Yet Boston steadied itself.. Despite the deficit. the Bruins kept their structure intact during the first 20 minutes and carried that resolve into the middle frame.. The breakthrough came when Elias Lindholm evened things up just before the halfway point of the period. and from there the match became a grind—one where every inch in both zones felt contested. and where the game refused to tilt toward an easy end.
Goalie Jeremy Swayman’s performance gave the Bruins a foundation they could build on.. After a tense mercy-pull in Game 4, he looked calm and decisive again, turning aside 24 shots.. Sturm’s comments framed it well: the Bruins had been fighting for more than a single save; they were fighting for control of the game’s emotional tempo. and Swayman’s steadiness kept Boston from unraveling.
There’s a practical reality behind that kind of netminding.. In playoffs, late-game results often look dramatic, but they’re usually earned by preventing the “next bad thing” from happening.. Swayman did that repeatedly. and it allowed Boston’s skaters—offensively and defensively—to stay connected instead of forcing desperation plays.
Now the series heads back to TD Garden for Game 6, and the stakes become sharper than ever.. Boston. which posted the second-best home record in the regular season. needs its first postseason win at home to force a Game 7.. Hampus Lindholm expects a different Bruins team inside their own building. with the same detail-oriented style and the kind of pressure that makes opponents second-guess their exits.
The bigger implication is how resilient this Bruins group has looked when pushed to the edge.. Two of the three close games in the matchup have come with Boston as the visitor in Western New York. and that suggests their survival isn’t tied only to comfort.. If Boston can bring the same disciplined transitions. the same willingness to battle without hesitation. and the same “do the small things right” brand of playoff hockey from Game 5 into Friday night. the series won’t just be extended—it will start to feel theirs to win.
For now. Pastrnak’s overtime strike is the headline. but the real story is the way Boston answered its own worst moment with a playoff-ready response.. In a series that swings on confidence as much as it does skill. that bounce-back may be the difference between going home soon—and finding one more chapter at TD Garden.