Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction, Preview and Odds - 04/21/2026

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Venue:  KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Bruins +140, Sabres -172; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Bruins +140, Sabres -170; Over/Under:  6 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Bruins +135, Sabres -165; Over/Under:  6 goals

Boston Bruins:  45-27-10 (4th place, Atlantic Division)

Buffalo Sabres:  50-23-9 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

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Boston Bruins:  4-4-2 last 10

Buffalo Sabres:  7-2-1 last 10

The Bruins are entering the playoffs with 100 points, a 45-27-10 record overall, and they were 16-16-9 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Buffalo Sabres in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-3. David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Elias Lindholm each scored 1 goal for them in that one. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie each led the team in assists with 2 while David Pastrnak led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Jeremy Swayman was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 37 shots with 34 saves and a .919 save percentage. Their offense has scored 290 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 231 goals against them allowing 2.8 goals per game.

The Sabres are entering the playoffs with 109 points, a 50-23-9 record overall, and they were 26-10-5 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Boston Bruins in their last game, winning that one at home 4-3. Tage Thompson led the team in goals scored with 2 while Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn, Owen Power, and Peyton Krebs each led the team in assists with 1 while Tage Thompson led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 20 shots with 17 saves and a .850 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 288 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 241 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Sabres listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Sabres have looked great in their games this season with their 50-23-9 record overall which had them right at the top of their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have looked great on home ice too with their 26-10-5 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Bruins have looked good in their games this season with their 45-27-10 record overall which had them in the top half of their division in the East. They have been a terrible road team though with their 16-16-9 road record this year. This is game 2 of a 7-game series between the 1st seeded Sabres in the Atlantic and the 1st Wild Card Bruins from the Atlantic for the 1st round of the NHL playoffs. The Sabres are entering this game with a 1-0 series lead after winning game 1 by a score of 4-3. The Sabres looked dead in the water in game 1 with the Bruins shutting them down completely. The Sabres couldn't get anything going offensively for the first 50 minutes of the game and it looked like the Bruins were going to steal a road game and flip the series, but then the Sabres woke up really late in the 3rd period and scored 4 unanswered goals to come back and win it. The Bruins were in complete control of that game and they really needed it since they have been a terrible road team all season, but now the momentum has really changed with the way they collapsed in that game. All of the pressure is going to be on the Bruins now after the way they lost that game late and even with an inexperienced Sabres team, they are playing with all of the momentum now. Those last 10 minutes could have just changed this entire series and now the Sabres are going to come out much stronger from the start of this game to avoid going into a hole again. That first game was a huge swing in momentum and the Bruins might not have any answers here with the trouble they have had on the road this season. The best way to place a bet here is on the Sabres to win this game. 

Bruins Sabres Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Sabres 5 Bruins 2.

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Boston Bruins: 131-129 (-13.9 units) on the moneyline in all games. 19-30 (-6.4 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 74-82 (-8.9 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 24-13 OVER as an underdog of +100 to +150.

Buffalo Sabres: 71-52 (+14.7 units) on the moneyline in home games. 59-38 (+8.7 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -200 or less. 73-76 (+12.1 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 38-21 OVER as a home favorite of -200 or less.

Boston Bruins:  None.

Buffalo Sabres:  S. Carrick (C) Out - Arm. N. Ostlund (C) Day To Day - Upper-Body. J. Kulich (C) Out For Season - Ear. J. Danforth (RW) Day To Day - Lower Body.

“I thought we were in the perfect spot. We were exactly where we wanted to play, being in that position five or six minutes left in the game. That’s something we have to learn again the hard way. We just have to stick with it for 60 minutes.” - Marco Sturm after his team’s loss against the Sabres in the 1st game of this series on Sunday.

“I think eight years of adversity is enough experience to get you ready for something like this. I think any time you go eight years not making playoffs and then it’s finally here, the last thing you want is regret. There’s just a heightened feeling of hunger. You just don’t want to let this opportunity slip. I thought tonight was really important to make a statement and set our standard.” - Tage Thompson after their win against the Bruins in game 1 of this series on Sunday. 

LW Morgan Geekie

C Elias Lindholm

RW David Pastrnak

LD Jonathan Aspirot

RD Charlie McAvoy

G Jeremy Swayman

LW Peyton Krebs

C Tage Thompson

RW Alex Tuch

LD Rasmus Dahlin

RD Mattias Samuelsson

G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Points: David Pastrnak (100)

Goals: Morgan Geekie (39)

Assists: David Pastrnak (71)

GAA: Jeremy Swayman (2.71)

Points: Tage Thompson (81)

Goals: Tage Thompson (40)

Assists: Rasmus Dahlin (55)

GAA: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2.52)

Coaches:

Boston Bruins: Marco Sturm (1st season)

Buffalo Sabres: Lindy Ruff (2nd season)