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Sabres vs. Bruins Game 6: Key takeaways as Buffalo advances to Round 2

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BOSTON — The Buffalo Sabres move on.

The Sabres won their first playoff series since 2007 by dispatching the Boston Bruins in six games. The Sabres claimed a 4-1 Game 6 win on Friday at TD Garden by pumping two first-period pucks past Jeremy Swayman and adding a Zach Benson backbreaker in the third period. Josh Norris iced the game with an empty net goal.

The Sabres will play either the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2. Game 7 between the Canadiens and Lightning is on Sunday.

The Sabres, up 2-1 after 40 minutes, scored the decisive goal after Josh Doan outhustled David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy for a puck deep in the Bruins’ end. After Doan won the puck, he found an unmarked Benson in front.

Just like in Game 4, the Bruins folded in the first period in Game 6. This time, it was a case of the Sabres making plays instead of the Bruins giving up the puck. On the first goal, Jonathan Aspirot had Tage Thompson marked. Same for McAvoy on Alex Tuch.

But Rasmus Dahlin has the talent to be a difference-making offensive catalyst. By stepping up into the offensive zone and receiving Thompson’s pass, Dahlin separated from Pavel Zacha. Dahlin then blew through Aspirot’s stick check to create a two-on-one down low. McAvoy, who was covering Tuch, had no choice but to engage Dahlin. This left Tuch open at the far post.

On Buffalo’s second goal, Thompson (6-foot-6) and Tuch (6-foot-4) set a double screen on Swayman. The goalie had no shot at picking up Mattias Samuelsson’s release from the point.

Meanwhile, Alex Lyon made a game-changing save on Casey Mittelstadt’s partial breakaway when the Sabres held a 1-0 lead halfway through the first.

Josh Doan’s big moment

Doan made the play of the game in the third period, out-skating two Bruins to a loose puck in the offensive zone. He won the battle for the puck and then made a perfect pass to Benson while taking a high hit from McAvoy. The pass made it through, and Benson finished the play with a goal to put the Sabres up 3-1 in the third period. Doan has been a dream acquisition for the Sabres because of the energy he consistently brings. Midway through the third period in Game 6, Doan was leading the Sabres with seven shot attempts and three individual high-danger chances. He also had two hits and two takeaways at that point. He does a bit of everything for the Sabres and made the biggest play of their season on Friday night.

Alex Lyon locked in again

Lyon stopped Mittelstadt on a clean break midway through the first period to keep the score 1-0. And then after the Sabres went up 2-0, Lyon made another point-blank stop on Elias Lindholm in front of the net. That allowed the Sabres to keep the 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. The Bruins eventually got on the board, but Lyon came up big early in the third period, too. The Bruins outshot the Sabres 10-2 in the first half of the third period, but the Sabres ended up getting the period’s first goal because Lyon was locked in. The series changed when Lyon took over Buffalo’s crease in Game 3. And he saved some of his best saves for Game 6.

Alex Tuch a difference maker for Buffalo

Tuch was a difference-maker for the Sabres. He scored the first goal and was also Buffalo’s most impactful two-way forward. Through two periods, Tuch had already logged 14:57 of ice time, and the Sabres were outscoring the Bruins 2-0 during his five-on-five minutes. He came into the game leading the Sabres with six points. He added to that total with his goal. The pending unrestricted free agent has already shown up in a big way for the Sabres this postseason. As he said ahead of Game 6, Tuch has been craving a chance to play in these types of games. And he showed up.

“I love it,” Tuch said. “This is what I think of when I think of hockey. There’s nothing better, honestly. I think the whole world knows it, too. Everyone is giving everything they have, sacrificing their bodies, minds, everything. You’re just going out there and givin’ ’er.”

Michael Kesselring replaces Logan Stanley in Sabres lineup

Logan Stanley came down with an illness this week. He took part in warmups but couldn’t play. Michael Kesselring, who hadn’t played yet in the playoffs and had played only two games since March 10, took his spot in the lineup. Kesselring grew up in Nashua, N.H., and played college hockey at Northeastern, so making his playoff debut in Boston was a big moment for him. But he didn’t end up getting a ton of ice time. Stanley’s absence forced the Sabres to lean on their top four defensemen for a heavy dose of minutes in this game. By the end of the second period, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bowen Byram and Owen Power were all on pace for more than 21 minutes of ice time. Conor Timmins and Kesselring rotated in with those guys to keep them fresh, but the Sabres relied on their best players to eat a ton of minutes and that worked to their advantage.

Viktor Arvidsson’s future unknown

Viktor Arvidsson may have played his final game as a Bruin. The No. 2 right wing is in the final year of his contract.

Arvidsson, injured in Game 4, skated on his own before Game 6. Whether he could have played in Game 7 is unknown.

Arvidsson, 32, was a very good fit, especially at five-on-five. He should be well-regarded in unrestricted free agency, given the shallow depth of available forwards.

This story will be updated.

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How Chargers’ Tarheeb Still is looking to unlock his potential in third NFL season

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Third-year Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still is familiar with the fanfare of training camp.

When the post-practice huddle breaks, fans in attendance flock to the barriers, handing over hats, jerseys and posters they’d like to turn into souvenirs personalized by one of their favorite players. Still typically signs a few things, as was the case on Saturday, even when he didn’t participate in practice for an undisclosed reason. But for all the fans whose days Still has helped make, one from this summer stands out.

Sitting on his couch, scrolling social media during the first week of camp, Still came across a video of a fan asking for Justin Herbert’s signature. The fan said it was his third year attending camp and trying to get the quarterback’s autograph. He said his speech disability had made it difficult in the past.

Still responded to the post, saying that he would help the fan out. The next day, Still went up to Herbert before practice and asked him to sign a hat. When practice ended, Still knew who he was looking for in the crowd.

“That specific experience was kind of … it was kind of emotional,” Still said. “You could tell it really meant a lot to him. I almost shed a tear.”

The Chargers posted the fan’s reaction to their social media, where he cheers with excitement and then comes to the front of the crowd to meet Still. That shot of him and Still smiling together is his new profile picture.

“It was the best experience ever,” Still said. “It was an amazing feeling that I got to help him do that, and also he was so passionate and so grateful. It was just amazing.”

Still enters a pivotal third season in 2026, and in camp he’s been vying for snaps at outside corner next to veteran Donte Jackson and fellow 2024 draft pick Cam Hart. Jackson, who has played eight NFL seasons, gave props to Still for his versatility in the secondary.

“The sky is the limit for Tarheeb. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with, and that says a lot for a Year 3 guy,” Jackson said. “He’s going to be one of the guys that you see on the ticker making a lot of money.”

As a rookie, Still was eager to step up when the veteran starters battled injuries, and it turned into a standout season for the fifth-round pick. He led the team with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a 61-yard touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons.

“Tarheeb’s a player who established he belonged right away,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He’s in the process of seeing how far he can take it.”

Reflecting now, Still attributed his early success to a simple mindset.

“It wasn’t really much thinking, none of that,” Still said. “Just going out there, being young, having fun. Just embracing it, being in the league, but also really just trying my best to see the team succeed.”

The stats didn’t jump off the page for Still as much in Year 2. He ended the season with seven pass deflections, 53 tackles and without a takeaway, all fewer than the year prior.

“Last year, I was trying to be right about everything, instead of just being like how I was my rookie year, just limit the thinking,” Still said. “I’m prepared. I’m in the playbook. I scout the team. I know they’ve got a good feel for what’s going on. The coaches do a good job preparing us. So it’s really just not thinking, letting your ability take over.”

Still said he wants to get back to “playing more free” in 2026, combining the knowledge and confidence built in his first two years to take the next step.

The defense is also working under new coordinator Chris O’Leary, whom Still described as intentional and “super detailed.” O’Leary was the Chargers’ safeties coach during Still’s rookie season in 2024, so the chemistry was built before O’Leary returned to Los Angeles this offseason.

“We’re on him constantly about just being an ultimate competitor,” O’Leary said earlier in camp about Still. “Can you be the same guy day in and day out no matter who you’re guarding, who you’re up against, how you feel? That, to me, is the step we’re pushing him in this year. Be that guy every single day. But he’s been really good.”

For Still to unlock his potential in the upcoming year, he said it will come down to the small things: preparation, diet, habits. So, what’s success look like in 2026? And, as Harbaugh said, how far can Still take it?

“Whatever level I get myself to,” Still said. “I know that they have the confidence in me. I know they have trust in me. I know my teammates do, but really it’s just about me taking that next step to really make that big jump.”

Another new detail for Still this year: his number. He switched to No. 4 this offseason after wearing No. 29 the past two years. Still wore No. 4 during his final two college football seasons at Maryland, and he also said the number has relevance to the street he grew up on in Sicklerville, N.J.

Of course, it’s also the number Harbaugh wore during his two seasons with the Chargers organization in 1999 and 2000, but the head coach didn’t let that add any pressure, Still said.

“People that are from around that area will understand. It really means something to me where I’m from. It makes a lot of people happy back home,” Still said.

“And then, also, who doesn’t want a single digit in the league?”

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ICC criticised for ‘disrespectful’ changes to World Cup by Cricket Scotland and KNCB

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The cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands have criticised the International Cricket Council for structural changes made to the men’s 50-over World Cup.

Last month the ICC announced the main part of the tournament for 2027 would be 12 teams in two groups of six, rather than 14 as originally planned.

The three lowest-ranked qualifiers will instead be placed in a preliminary three-team Super Series, from which only the winner will progress.

It effectively means the likes of Scotland and the Netherlands face three qualifying tournaments to reach the main group stage of the World Cup.

A joint statement from Cricket Scotland and Royal Dutch Association (KNCB) said they had “significant concerns” about the “impact of these changes” along with the “process through which they have been introduced”.

“The changes risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket, and only highlights the importance of strong governance, transparent decision-making and effective engagement with members,” the statement said.

“Changing those structures at short notice creates significant uncertainty, disrupts planning, and places additional operational and financial pressure on organisations that are already operating with limited resources.”

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Wrexham transfer news: Red Dragons close in on Sunderland’s Patterson

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Patterson is a product of Sunderland’s academy and made his senior debut for the Black Cats in a 2-1 EFL Trophy loss to Fleetwood Town in 2020-21.

He made his league bow in the following season and, after joining Notts County on loan for the opening half of the 2021-22 campaign, he helped Sunderland gain promotion into the Championship via the League One play-offs.

In 2024-25, Patterson featured 45 times in the Championship as his side beat Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley to gain promotion into the Premier League.

Having featured just once for the top-flight side in the first half of last season after falling behind Robin Roefs in the pecking order, Patterson spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Millwall.

He featured 16 times across all competitions for the Lions.

Patterson – who has made 169 competitive appearances for the Black Cats – featured as a substitute for Sunderland as Regis Le Bris’ side beat Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly at Philadelphia’s Subaru Park on 2 August.

Wrexham have already added full-back Danny Imray and midfielder Ben Whiteman to their ranks this summer.

But speaking ahead of his side’s 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the first round of the Carabao Cup, Parkinson said there was still work to be done on the squad.

“We feel we’re not where we need to be yet and we know that,” he said.

“We’re working, as ever, to make sure that the squad is as strong as it needs to be in what is going to be an incredibly competitive division.

“We’re under no illusions about that. We’ve got to make this squad so strong and we are working tirelessly to bring those extra players in to give everybody a boost.”

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