ORCHARD PARK - There are big things happening for the Buffalo Bills this week as their voluntary program, the first under the stewardship of new head coach Joe Brady, is in full swing, and preparations for the NFL Draft, which commences Thursday night, are at a fever pitch.But that didn’t stop the key members of the organization - Brady, president/general manager Brandon Beane, and quarterback Josh Allen - from being fully invested with what happened Sunday night at KeyBank Arena.During their separate media sessions Monday afternoon, all three spurned their Bills’ gear and showed their support of the Buffalo Sabres following their incredible come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal Stanley Cup playoff series.First, Allen walked into the media room fully decked out in a Sabres hoodie and baseball cap, then Beane came in wearing a different version of both, and finally Brady showed off a OneBuffalo sweatshirt.“That environment was pretty cool,” said Beane, who attended the game along with Brady and several players. “It’s interesting watching a team who you’re rooting for, but you didn’t acquire the players or you’re not in charge of anything there.

You’re just watching as a fan. That’s the first playoff hockey game I’ve ever been to. Everybody says playoff hockey’s different.

I would say maybe it’s even another level in Buffalo.”Allen was not in attendance because he was flying into Buffalo from his offseason home to attend the voluntary OTA sessions.“Unfortunately was not there last night. I was on a plane, but I landed and obviously the whole plane was going nuts,” he said with a smile. “Got to watch the highlights right after.

Talk about electric. That was fun to watch the highlights.”Allen has experienced the incredible atmosphere that has existed at Highmark Stadium ever since he arrived as the Bills’ No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He has led the Bills to seven consecutive postseason berths, while the Pegula family’s other major pro franchise, the Sabres, had missed the playoffs an NHL record 14 consecutive years before breaking through this season.Allen, who has attended plenty of Sabres games in the past, plans to be in the building for Game 2 Tuesday night and he knows the chaos he’ll be walking into.“Just for the city of Buffalo, I think it’s a better place when the Sabres are playing well, and it being the first playoff game in 15 years and to go in there and win the way that they did, that showed a lot of grit, showed a lot of heart,” Allen said.“It’s a team that people I think kind of wrote off at the beginning part of the season.

They’ve come together rather quickly and they’re playing for each other and you can see that, you can feel that. I think the buzz in the city right now is electric. We talked about OneBuffalo for the longest time with the Pegulas and it’s been fun to watch them progress and now going into the playoffs rolling.”Here are a few other topics Allen spoke about Monday:Fatherhood is everything he hoped it would beAllen and his wife, actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld, welcomed their daughter into the world a few weeks ago and like any new parent, it has been an overwhelming exciting time.“I am very excited, and I do think this is going to be the best version of myself in all aspects in my professional career and my personal life,” he said.

“It’s such a blessing, and I’ve got an absolute rock star of a wife that’s doing so many things right now and allowing me to be here right now and be with my teammates, so yes, special times. No (haven’t slept), but I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s very rewarding.”He hasn’t really been involved in draft prepAllen’s opinion is sought after on many issues surrounding the team, from his input on draft picks to signing free agents.

But he admitted this spring, with the arrival of the baby, he hasn’t been too plugged in.“To be quite honest, I’ve been in this baby bubble, the baby loop as I like to call it, so I couldn’t tell you what’s going on with the draft and who’s going where and how many picks each team has,” he said. “Just excited to welcome our new guys and I know that our front office has been working extremely hard. Whoever that may be, we’re going to welcome them with open arms and try to bring them in as quickly as possible to try to win us a Super Bowl.”Getting back Connor McGovern was importantMcGovern, who has been Allen’s center for three seasons, was nearly out the door as an undrafted free agent.

In fact, he thought for sure the Bills weren’t going to re-sign him before he hit the market and he called Allen to, in essence, say goodbye.However, Beane negotiated a deal in the nick of time and McGovern happily signed a four-year, $52 million contract to come back to Buffalo.“He gave me a call and it was the day before free agency was about to hit,” Allen said. “He basically told me he was saying goodbye, and I was like just give me one second, you know, and I ju