Bruins routed 6-1 by Sabres as Swayman erupts at bench
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- Jeremy Swayman was pulled after Buffalo built a 6-0 third-period lead, and he howled at his teammates on the way to the dressing room while the bench stared blankly ahead; coach Marco Sturm backed him, saying "It was not his fault today" and called it "fire" from "a battler."
- The Boston Bruins lost 6-1 to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4, falling behind 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series, with Game 5 set for Tuesday in Buffalo and Boston facing elimination.
- The Bruins were outshot 19-5 in the first period and trailed 4-0 after the Sabres scored three goals (Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, Zach Benson) in 4:58, a hole coach Sturm's timeout could not paper over.
- Charlie McAvoy said if the team isn't "f---ing embarrassed by what just happened, then I don't know what to say," while David Pastrnak called it a "wasted opportunity" and "unacceptable," and Sturm conceded he was "embarrassed" and unable to explain the effort.
- Nikita Zadorov delivered a "vicious crosscheck" to Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin at center ice late in the third period, drawing a five-minute major and game misconduct; Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said it "could have easily broken Rasmus' arm" and suggested a suspension is warranted.
- Buffalo's power play went 0-for-3 in Game 4 and is now 0-for-38 since April 2 — a glaring weakness that has not yet cost the Sabres in this series.
Why it matters: The Bruins trail 3-1 in the series and must win three straight to advance, with the next two games in Buffalo. A potential supplemental discipline hearing for Zadorov — whose crosscheck Ruff said could have broken Dahlin's arm — could further thin a roster that was outshot 35-24 and credited with 17 giveaways in the loss, and Sturm's public call for veterans to "take charge" makes Monday's practice the de facto referendum on Boston's season.
