Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson scored in the first period, Zach Benson added another early in the third and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Friday night in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Bowen Byram scored a minute after Boston missed a penalty shot, and Alex Tuch broke a third-period tie to help Buffalo come from behind and beat the Bruins 3-1.

Tage Thompson and the Buffalo Sabres entered their first-round series against Boston facing a myriad of questions over their lack of playoff experience.

Jarmo Kekalainen emphasized character and consistency upon taking over as the Buffalo Sabres general manager after Kevyn Adams was fired this week.