When Do The NHL Playoffs Start For The Bruins? Boston’s First-Round Timeline and Playoff Matchup

When Do The NHL Playoffs Start For The Bruins? Boston’s First-Round Timeline and Playoff Matchup originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Bruins are heading back to the postseason with momentum on their side after a clinical shutout win over the Devils in the final game of the regular season. By clinching the top wild-card spot, the Bruins have set up a physical, high-stakes opening-round clash with the Buffalo Sabres.

While the Sabres enter as the Atlantic Division champions, Boston brings the experience of nine playoff appearances in the last eleven years and a defensive structure designed to frustrate Buffalo’s high-flying attack.

The quest for the Cup begins this weekend at KeyBank Center, where the Bruins look to prove that veteran poise outweighs regular-season streaks. After the first two games in Buffalo, the series will shift back to TD Garden, where the Boston faithful are ready to turn North Station into a fortress.

For a team that has navigated a grueling season to find its best hockey in April, the goal is simple: start another deep run toward June.

Here’s everything you should know about the Bruins first round matchup, from the opponent to start date.

When do the NHL playoffs start for the Bruins?

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, April 18.

The Bruins play the Sabres in Game 1 on April 19. A start time has yet to be determined. Boston’s own playoff ticket release says the dates and times for playoff games will be determined when available.

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Who will the Bruins face in the first round?

With the win over the Devils on Tuesday night, the Bruins clinched the first wild card spot in the Eastern conference. It also locked in their opponent: the Buffalo Sabres, who make their return to the postseason for the first time since 2011.

The Sabres’ path to their first Atlantic Division title since 2010 was nothing short of historic. After a sluggish 14–14–4 start that led to the firing of GM Kevyn Adams in December, Buffalo ignited under new GM Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff. The team orchestrated a staggering 32–6–2 run over 40 games—the best such stretch in the NHL since 1996.

Buffalo’s season included a franchise-record-tying 10-game win streak from December 9 to December 31 that vaulted the team from the bottom of the conference into the heart of the playoff race. Then, it was followed by a 8-game winning streak immediately after the Olympic break, making the 2025–26 Sabres the first team in franchise history to record multiple streaks of 8+ games in a single season.

Driven by a 40-goal campaign from Tage Thompson and a point-per-game surge from captain Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabres finally ended a 14-season drought — the longest in NHL history. They now enter the first round as the top seed in the Atlantic.

The two teams met in the first game of the season, and now, Buffalo and Boston will meet for the ninth time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

What dates should Bruins fans circle?

The regular season is officially over for the Bruins, and all eyes are set on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Saturday, April 18: Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
Sunday, April 19: Bruins vs. Sabres begins

As the Atlantic Division champions, the Sabres hold home-ice advantage. The first two games will be played in Buffalo before the series shifts to Boston. Game 1 in Buffalo will be on April 19.