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The Bruins played like they had visions of future tee times dancing in their heads. The absentee performance of his team left first-year coach Marco Sturm<\/a> flummoxed.<\/p>\n \u201cI really don\u2019t know. I can\u2019t answer that,\u2019\u2019 he said when asked by NESN\u2019s Andy Brickley postgame why his team submitted such an uninspired effort. \u201cI mean there\u2019s no reason for it. If you\u2019re in the playoffs [and] you come back as a Boston Bruin and you\u2019re playing at home, then you should have a lot of juice. For some reason we didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Game 4 started a few minutes past 2 p.m. The Bruins showed up at . . . actually, they never did. It was utterly a juice-free performance, to borrow Sturm\u2019s term.<\/p>\n The Sabres scored their first goal just 4:17 into the game, taking advantage of the Bruins\u2019 stupefying carelessness with the puck, which would become a recurring theme.<\/p>\n Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy<\/a> passed the puck from behind the net to Fraser Minten<\/a> along the boards. Minten, for no apparent reason, casually redirected it to the middle while encountering token-at-best pressure.<\/p>\n Alex Tuch \u2014 the former Boston College star who scored the winning goal in the third period of Game 3 \u2014 pounced on the puck and fed Peyton Krebs for a one-timer, and a quick 1-0 Sabres lead. The goal was the Sabres\u2019 first in a first period in this series, and the first time they have scored first in any of the four games. That Buffalo would score first seemed inevitable: At the point of Krebs\u2019s goal, the Sabres were already outshooting Boston, 7-1.<\/p>\n The Sabres doubled their advantage less than three minutes later. At 5:08, the Bruins were called for too many men on the ice when McAvoy, after leveling the Sabres\u2019 Josh Doan, looked like he was coming off, but stuck around while Hampus Lindholm jumped on too early.<\/p>\n The Bruins had killed all 14 previous Sabres power plays though the first three games, and technically they did this time, too. But two seconds after the penalty expired, Doan scored on a redirect, his first goal of the series, after Lindholm\u2019s clearing attempt went directly to Bowen Byram. He moved the puck to Ryan McLeod, who found Doan in front.<\/p>\n Two bad turnovers, and two Sabres goals . . . whoops, make it three bad turnovers and three Sabres goals. This time, the Sabres took advantage of Bruins lethargy. As defenseman Jordan Harris tried to carry the puck out of danger in the defensive zone, no one appeared to make much of an effort up ice to give him a passing target. Harris ended up holding the puck too long, and a pair of Sabres pressured him. Zach Benson poked the puck loose, collected it, drove the net, and beat Jeremy Swayman five-hole at 9:15 for a 3-0 lead.<\/p>\n Goal No. 4 came after \u2014 say it in unison now \u2014 another Bruins turnover, this one courtesy of Morgan Geekie. The puck ended up in the possession of Owen Power, who fed Byram for a one-timer, beating Swayman, who couldn\u2019t get across quick enough after getting tangled up on the other side of the net.<\/p>\n The outcome was unofficially decided before the first period was complete, not that it got much better afterward. The Bruins finally scored on Sean Kuraly\u2019s shorthanded goal with 40 seconds left in the game, but that cut the final margin to 6-1. Beck Malenstyn and Tuck scored earlier in the third, 84 seconds apart, to put the Sabres up by a half dozen.<\/p>\n If the Bruins\u2019 season does end Tuesday night, they will be left with much to lament heading into the offseason.<\/p>\n They led in each of the first three games of this series, and won just one. But nothing should linger like the Game 4 loss, because the effort, mentally and physically, was closer to what you\u2019d expect from a preseason matchup than a crucial playoff game.<\/p>\n Where was the discipline? Where was the physicality? Where was the poise? Where was the pride?<\/p>\n Those questions, and that critique, particularly applies to their best players. McAvoy, who played like one of the best emen defensemen in the world during the Olympics in February, had no points and was minus-4. David Pastrnak, was minus-2, had no points, and got off just three shots. His only goal in the series came in Game 1.<\/p>\n In the Small Consolations Dept., at least the Bruins aren\u2019t officially done yet. <\/p>\n Tuesday night\u2019s Game 5 starts at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n The Bruins, on the brink, might want to show on time. Actually, showing up at all would count as progress.<\/p>\n![\"Sean](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3MJTI4XKJEVYPJNJPDUAEMETUQ.jpg\")
Sean Kuraly (52) scored the lone Bruins’ goal on Sunday, beating Sabres goalie Alex Lyon with 40 seconds left in the third period.Matthew J. Lee\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n![\"Peyton](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/K3WNSPX72R4RWXT5MCOSUEEGIU.jpg\")
Peyton Krebs (19) scores a goal beating Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) and goaltender Jeremy Swayman.Matthew J. Lee\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n