The first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs continued to wind down on Friday. A trio of Game 6 matchups highlighted the action, as teams looked to punch their ticket to the second round.

Replay live NHL coverage of Columbus Blue Jackets' deflating shutout loss to Buffalo Sabres, including scores, updates and analysis.

Wearing an Alex Tuch goathead sweater, Allen was introduced to a roaring crowd arena and embraced the moment. He screamed "Let's (expletive) go!" while pumping his arms, then grabbed the ceremonial drumstick and got to work.

Sports bars across Buffalo echoed with applause Friday night as the Sabres secured their first playoff series win in 19 years with their 4-1 victory over the Boston

Recent geopolitical turbulence has caused fans to react boorishly to national anthems. What happened in Buffalo this week was the opposite.

Rasmus Dahlin arrived in Buffalo as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NHL draft wanting to be part of the revival for a city rabid about a Sabres team that hadn't been to playoffs in the six years before his arrival.