BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and the Boston Bruins used a three-goal second period to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Tuesday night, tying their NHL playoff series at one game apiece. After a scoreless first period, the Bruins erupted. Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Arvidsson scored in the middle frame to build a commanding lead. Arvidsson added his second goal just 16 seconds into the third period. The Sabres answered with late goals from Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs but could not complete the comeback. Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman made 32 saves for the win. The series shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Thursday.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — Facing a critical deficit in their playoff series, the Boston Bruins responded with a dominant second period and a stellar performance from goaltender Jeremy Swayman to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Tuesday night, evening their first-round matchup. The Bruins, who dropped Game 1 at KeyBank Center, scored three times in the middle frame and weathered a third-period push from the Sabres to knot the series at one game apiece. The series now shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Thursday. Viktor Arvidsson led the offensive charge for the Bruins, scoring twice, including a critical goal just 16 seconds into the third period that restored a three-goal cushion. His linemate, Casey Mittelstadt, assisted on both of Arvidsson’s tallies. After a scoreless and penalty-filled first period that saw both teams combine for 10 infractions, the Bruins seized control in the second. Morgan Geekie opened the scoring at the 12:29 mark, converting a backhand chance with assists from David Pastrnak and Sean Kuraly. The floodgates opened late in the period. On a power play resulting from a Tage Thompson interference penalty, Pavel Zacha deflected a point shot from Charlie McAvoy past Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to make it 2-0 with just 3:50 left in the frame. Arvidsson struck for the first time just over a minute later, finishing a backhand shot at 18:54 to send the Bruins into the second intermission with a commanding 3-0 lead. The most important sequence of the game came at the start of the final period. Any hope of a Sabres comeback was quickly dampened when Arvidsson collected a Mittelstadt pass and snapped a wrist shot past Luukkonen just 16 seconds after the opening faceoff, extending the lead to 4-0. Buffalo, which entered the game with a 51-33 overall record, refused to go quietly on home ice. Defenseman Bowen Byram broke Swayman’s shutout bid with a wrist shot at 19:54 of the third period. Just over five minutes later, at 15:08, Peyton Krebs added another for the Sabres, cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Sabres pressed furiously in the closing minutes, outshooting Boston 15-6 in the third period and 34-22 for the game, but Swayman stood firm. The Anchorage, Alaska, native turned aside 32 shots, including several high-danger chances during Buffalo’s late surge, to secure the victory. Boston’s defense, led by a physical effort from McAvoy who recorded six hits and an assist, blocked 22 shots. The Bruins were also effective on special teams, converting one of their four power-play opportunities while killing off all three Sabres advantages. Luukkonen made 18 saves for Buffalo in the loss. The game was a physical affair, featuring 22 total penalties, including misconducts to Boston’s Andrew Peeke and Nikita Zadorov and Buffalo’s Zach Benson and Tage Thompson following a large scrum midway through the third period. The Bruins improved to 46-38 overall with the win. The result defied pregame projections from National Statistical, which gave Buffalo a 60.6% probability to win and had projected a 4-2 Sabres victory. The series resumes with Game 3 at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday night. The Bruins will look to carry the momentum from their strong road performance back home, while the Sabres aim to recapture the form that earned them a series-opening victory.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Buffalo Sabres look to even their first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins when the teams meet for Game 2 on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center. The Sabres, who posted a superior regular-season record of 50-32, dropped the series opener 2-1 on home ice Sunday. The Bruins, 45-37 in the regular season, seized home-ice advantage with the victory, continuing a trend of tight contests between the Atlantic Division rivals. Four of their last five meetings have been decided by one goal, with three requiring overtime. Buffalo will aim for a more productive offensive performance after being held to a single goal on 28 shots in Game 1. A key to that effort will be winger Zach Benson, who enters Tuesday on a hot streak. Benson has recorded two goals and four assists in his last six games, including a goal and an assist in Buffalo’s most recent contest, a 4-3 shootout loss to Dallas on April 15. Boston, meanwhile, has relied on timely scoring and stout defense. Center Mark Kastelic has emerged as a recent catalyst, netting three goals in his last two games. He scored twice in Boston’s 4-0 win over New Jersey on April 14, the team’s most decisive victory in weeks. The Bruins have allowed two or fewer goals in regulation in four of their last five games. The series shifts to Boston for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, making a Sabres victory Tuesday critical to avoid facing an 0-2 deficit on the road. The Bruins will look to replicate their road success from the regular season, where they won both visits to Buffalo, including a 4-3 overtime victory on March 25. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.