The visiting Buffalo Sabres scored two first-period goals and never trailed en route to a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Friday, clinching their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series in Game 6.

Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson built a 2-0 lead in the opening frame before Zach Benson and Josh Norris added insurance tallies in the third as Buffalo advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2007.

Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each dished out two assists while Alex Lyon made 25 saves for the Sabres, who won all three games played in Boston in the series.

David Pastrnak scored the lone goal and Jeremy Swayman stopped 22 shots in Boston’s losing effort.

Golden Knights 5, Mammoth 1

Mitch Marner scored two goals and had an assist as Vegas defeated Utah in Game 6 in Salt Lake City to win their first-round playoff series.

It was the sixth career three-point playoff game for Marner, tying his postseason high. Brett Howden scored a goal for the third straight game as Vegas advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth time in its nine-year history. Carter Hart made 22 saves for the Golden Knights, who will face the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference semifinals.

Kailer Yamamoto scored a goal and Karel Vejmelka finished with 21 saves for Utah, which was playing its first playoff series since the franchise moved from Arizona in April 2024.

Lightning 1, Canadiens 0 (OT)

Gage Goncalves scored the overtime game-winning goal to give visiting Tampa Bay a season-saving win over Montreal on Friday and force Game 7.

The deciding game of their Eastern Conference first-round set will be Sunday in Tampa. That clash has quite the affair to top in entertainment value. A thrilling Game 6 finally came to a close when Goncalves buried a loose puck amidst a scramble at 9:03 of overtime for his first career playoff overtime winner.

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy had struggled to find his form during this series but delivered his best performance with 30 saves to post his eighth career playoff shutout. Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots in a fantastic goaltending duel.

–Field Level Media

Michael Busch had two hits, including a two-run single, and the Chicago Cubs used two three-run innings to hold off the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Friday in the first game of a weekend series.

Busch triggered a three-run first with a bases-loaded single, then the Cubs added three more in the fourth off Diamondbacks starter off Zac Gallen (1-2) for their third win in four games and ninth straight home win.

Cubs starter Colin Rea (4-1) gave up two runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. He fanned six with no walks. Jacob Webb pitched the final two innings for his first save, the sixth Cub reliever to record a save this season.

Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas had a career-high four hits to raise his batting average to a major league-leading .404. Geraldo Perdomo cracked a three-run homer to cap a four-run sixth and pull the D-backs within 6-5, but they managed just one baserunner over the final three innings.

Vargas singled in the first to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 24 games. His 27-game streak dating to last September ranks as the longest in the majors since Trea Turner’s 27-game run in 2022.

Per Elias, Vargas’ season-opening streak stands as the longest in the majors since the Detroit Tigers’ Ron LeFlore hit in 30 straight in 1976. His 27-game streak ranks second in Arizona history behind Luis Gonzalez (30, 1999).

Carson Kelly had two hits for the Cubs and Alex Bergman and Dansby Swanson had RBI hits in the three-run fourth that pushed their lead to 6-1.

Jorge Barrosa had two doubles — one a bunt that kicked off the third base bag into left field — and scored twice for Arizona. Perdomo also had two hits for the D-backs, who have lost seven of 10.

Gallen gave up six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.

Nico Hoerner doubled to open the three-run first and Gallen walked to load the bases. Busch hit a two-run single, then the third run scored when Kelly’s catchable pop to center fell safely.

Vargas singled in a run in the third before the Cubs knocked out Gallen in the fourth. The D-backs got within 6-5 with a four-run sixth, all scoring after Rea was replaced by Ryan Rolison with one out and one on.

Pinch-hitter Tim Tawa walked and Barrosa pushed a hard bunt down the third base line. When Bregman let it roll, the ball hit the bag and kicked into short left. Perdomo followed with a three-run homer.

Hoerner was replaced by pinch-hitter Matt Shaw in the second inning. Hoerner was removed with a neck strain, the Cubs said.

–Field Level Media

Zack Wheeler logged six effective innings as the Philadelphia Phillies hung on for a 6-5 road victory against the Miami Marlins on Friday.

Bryson Stott hit a three-run homer for Philadelphia, which improved to 4-0 under interim manager Don Mattingly. Edmundo Sosa and Alec Bohm each added two hits and an RBI for the Phillies.

Wheeler (1-0), in his second start since missing more than eight months with a blood clot in his shoulder, allowed just a run and three hits. He walked two and struck out eight.

Miami starter Eury Perez (2-3) was charged with two runs and four hits in five innings. Otto Lopez had three hits and two RBIs to pace the Marlins’ offense.

Brewers 6, Nationals 1

Jacob Misiorowski took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before leaving with a cramp, William Contreras had four hits and Milwaukee won at Washington.

Misiorowski came out of the game with a right hamstring cramp after throwing a pitch to James Wood with one out in the sixth. Aaron Ashby came on and carried the no-hit bid into the seventh before Daylen Lile delivered a one-out bloop double.

Misiorowski (2-2) fanned eight in a dominant outing, which ended with Milwaukee throwing a combined two-hitter. Washington starter Jake Irvin (1-4) gave up four runs, three earned, over five innings.

Blue Jays 7, Twins 3

Kazuma Okamoto hit two homers and drove in three runs as Toronto pulled away for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Yohendrick Pinango finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Blue Jays, and Lenyn Sosa went 3-for-4 with a double. Patrick Corbin (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5) gave up six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. Byron Buxton finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.

Mets 4, Angels 3

Ronny Mauricio hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning for New York, which mounted its biggest comeback of the season to beat Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.

The Mets trailed 3-0 before winning for just the fourth time in past 21 games. Five New York pitchers, including reliever Huascar Brazoban (2-0) and closer Devin Williams (third save), combined to retire the final 21 batters they faced.

Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer for the Angels, who lost for the 11th time in 12 games. Jose Fermin (0-1) gave up one run in his lone inning.

Rangers 5, Tigers 4

Alejandro Osuna hit a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning as visiting Texas opened a three-game series against Detroit with a win.

Danny Jansen slugged a solo homer and Josh Jung had two hits and two RBIs for the Rangers, who moved ahead on back-to-back doubles by Jake Burger and Osuna in the eighth against Burch Smith (0-1). Tyler Alexander (1-0), one of five Texas relievers, pitched a scoreless seventh. Jacob Latz handled the ninth for his third save.

Riley Greene had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who have lost three of the past four. Wenceel Perez added a two-run single. Tigers starter Jack Flaherty gave up four runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Cubs 6, Diamondbacks 5

Michael Busch had two hits, including a two-run single, and Chicago used two three-run innings to hold off the visiting Arizona.

Busch triggered a three-run first with a bases-loaded single, and the Cubs added three more in the fourth off Diamondbacks starter off Zac Gallen (1-2) for their third win in four games and ninth straight home win.

Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas had a career-high four hits to raise his batting average to a major-league-leading .404 and extend his season-opening hitting streak to 24 games.

Red Sox 3, Astros 1

Jarren Duran hit a three-run homer and Jake Bennett pitched well in his major league debut to propel Boston to a victory over visiting Houston.

Bennett (1-0) allowed one run on five hits in five innings, and the Red Sox received four scoreless innings from four relievers. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Carlos Correa had three hits, including a home run, while Isaac Paredes and Yainer Diaz each had two hits for the Astros. Houston starter Mike Burrows (1-4) surrendered three runs on eight hits in six innings.

Rays 3, Giants 0

Shane McClanahan crafted his second straight scoreless start, Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero homered and Tampa Bay opened a six-game homestand with a win over the struggling San Francisco in St. Petersburg, Fla.

McClanahan (3-2) allowed five hits over six innings. Diaz slugged a solo home run in the second and Caminero added a massive solo shot in the fourth. Taylor Walls went 2-for-3 with a double, run and stolen base.

Giants starter Robbie Ray (2-4) allowed just four hits in 6 1/3 innings, but three runs came across. Luis Arraez doubled for the club’s only extra-base hit as San Francisco lost its fourth straight game and was shut out for a major-league-high seventh time.

Yankees 7, Orioles 2

Ben Rice hit a three-run homer in the second inning as host New York downed Baltimore.

Jose Caballero also went deep and Cody Bellinger contributed an RBI double as the Yankees won for the 11th time in 13 games. Will Warren (4-0) allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Former Mets star Pete Alonso hit a tying homer in his first at-bat in New York since joining the Orioles in the offseason. Cade Povich (1-1) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings.

Pirates 9, Reds 1

Bryan Reynolds continued his dominance of Cincinnati pitching with a tape-measure homer and an RBI triple in support of seven strong innings from Mitch Keller as host Pittsburgh routed Cincinnati.

Henry Davis broke out with two homers and three runs, Marcell Ozuna added a two-run shot and Nick Gonzales went 3-for-4 for the Pirates, who snapped a five-game skid. Keller (3-1) allowed only three hits and one run in seven innings.

The Reds were held to three hits, two of which were by TJ Friedl. Brady Singer (2-2) was roughed up for four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

White Sox 8, Padres 2

Munetaka Murakami blasted his big-league-leading 13th homer and rookie starter Noah Schultz allowed just two hits in six shutout innings as visiting Chicago routed San Diego.

Murakami capped a six-run second-inning outburst against German Marquez, ripping a hanging knuckle-curve an estimated 413 feet. That three-run shot essentially decided the game as Schultz (2-1) shrugged off first-inning control issues.

Marquez (3-2) saw his three-game winning streak snapped after permitting seven runs on five hits and five walks over five innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. collected three hits in the Padres’ third consecutive loss.

Cardinals 7, Dodgers 2

Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson homered, Jordan Walker had four hits and host St. Louis extended its winning streak to five games by defeating Los Angeles.

Matthew Liberatore (1-1) gave up two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. George Soriano, Gordon Graceffo and Matt Svanson held Los Angeles scoreless the rest of the way.

Emmet Sheehan (2-1) allowed four runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings as the Dodgers lost their third consecutive game.

Royals 7, Mariners 6

Pinch hitter Lane Thomas’ run-scoring single with one out in the eighth inning broke a tie as Kansas City defeated host Seattle, overcoming a pair of two-run homers by Julio Rodriguez.

Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone went deep for the Royals, who won for just the fourth time in 16 road games this season. Connor Joe and Randy Arozarena also homered for Seattle, which had won six of its previous seven games.

Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) allowed two runs in his lone inning. Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save.

Braves 8, Rockies 6

Michael Harris II blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth inning, and Atlanta rallied late from six runs down to beat Colorado in Denver.

Matt Olson also went deep, while Austin Riley, Mauricio Dubon and Ronald Acuna had two hits each. Didier Fuentes (1-0) got the win in relief for the Braves, who won for the fourth time in the past five.

Mickey Moniak homered among his two hits and Troy Johnston also had two hits for the Rockies, who have lost three of their past four.

Guardians 8, A’s 5

Rhys Hoskins homered, doubled and drove in three runs and Chase DeLauter went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, leading Cleveland past the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

Steven Kwan had two hits and a walk and made a stellar catch that saved three runs for the Guardians. Cade Smith retired the final four batters for his eighth save.

Brent Rooker went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs for the Athletics. Nick Kurtz finished 0-for-4 but drew a walk in the seventh to reach base for the 26th straight game. He has walked in 20 straight games, tied for the majors’ second-longest streak ever.

–Field Level Media