Canadiens close – With Game 6 in Montreal offering a direct path to the Eastern Conference Final, Canadiens players and staff are leaning into what they’ve already seen at Bell Centre—while Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff points to a road script they believe can carry through again.
MONTREAL—The thought of “settling in” was there, but the Canadiens didn’t buy into staying comfortable for long.. After Lindy Ruff tried to square Buffalo’s uneven home-and-road results in these playoffs. Montreal players insisted the plan is simple: treat Saturday night like every other home game these playoffs have featured—and go for the win that ends the series.
Ruff had been asked to explain why the Sabres have gone 2-4 at home while posting a 4-1 mark on the road.. He didn’t claim to know the reason for the swing. but he pointed to one clear takeaway: “our road play has been better.” Ruff added that if that’s what Buffalo needs. then the formula is already there—win a game in Montreal. come back. and keep playing as though nothing has changed.
The Canadiens, though, are approaching Game 6 at Bell Centre with their own evidence. Montreal’s home results have carried them against the Sabres, and the way their special teams and timing looked in earlier games shaped the belief that they can finally turn pressure into elimination.
Game 4 in particular still hangs over this matchup.. The Canadiens lost 4-Game 4 after failing to convert more than one goal on seven power plays.. The difference came down to Buffalo’s opportunism on two of four power-play chances. plus a “crazy bounce” off a stanchion that swung momentum at a time Montreal was still finding ways to keep the score close.
They held the lead at one point and came close to tying it late. and that’s part of why the staff believes Game 6 is within reach.. Martin St.. Louis. speaking to media in Buffalo on Friday morning. reminded reporters that Game 6 is one of Montreal’s strongest efforts of the series against Tampa in the round prior.
Even with the Lightning series reminder, St. Louis didn’t pretend this will be easy. “It takes a lot (to eliminate a team),” he said, before adding: “It probably takes your best, and more.” He also pointed to the Canadiens’ own memory of the lucky Game 7 breaks that helped them get past Tampa.
But on Saturday, the Canadiens don’t want to mimic a road routine. They want the noise, the atmosphere, and the advantage of playing exactly where they will—especially on a night that will finally feel like a full Montreal playoff spectacle.
“It’s going to be electric in Montreal,” said Nick Suzuki, describing a city that’s already been “pretty crazy.” Juraj Slafkovsky echoed the excitement with a wink about scoring the way Montreal knows how to score: “Well, I think probably Cole (Caufield) is gonna score.”
After that joke, Slafkovsky was blunt about the work the team has to do.. “To be real, we know we’ve gotta play hard,” he said.. “It’s going to start 0-0 and we’ve gotta have a mindset that it’s a 0-0 series and we’re trying to get the first win.. Just play hard, do everything we can, and not let them come close to our net.”
The Canadiens’ message carried into how they plan to get through Friday first—go home. see family and friends. rest. and keep the focus on the day in front of them.. St.. Louis emphasized a steady approach: “We’re not worried about the day before. we’re not worried about what’s ahead; let’s just take care of today.”
Once Saturday arrives, Lane Hutson said the team is grateful simply to have this chance at home. “Any chance you get to do it at home, it’s exciting, and we’re grateful for that opportunity.”
Demidov’s tape switch—and why Montreal thinks it matters—became the story inside the story as well.. Artyom Demidov had been Montreal’s most dynamic player in Game 5. and he explained that the change wasn’t about mysticism.. He said he was “finally went back to the white (stick) tape. ” adding. “I can’t look at him with the black tape on his stick. so I think that’s the only thing that changed.”
In Game 6. Demidov started the third period with black tape after being robbed on the power play by Andrei Vasilevskiy and feeling he needed a drastic shift.. The result didn’t follow through—Montreal was shut out through that third period and overtime. and Demidov was held in check again in Game 7 before producing three assists through the first four games against Buffalo.
Even so, Montreal believes the breakthrough performance was tied to something more repeatable than luck.. St.. Louis pointed to the preparation behind the confidence Demidov and others bring to big moments.. “Their confidence comes from their preparation and the time they put in,” he said.. “You have to work.. To be a confident player, it’s not just about the goals.”
Slafkovsky praised Demidov’s pure ability too, describing skill “some of the best” he’s ever seen. “He can make all the plays, and he showed it today, and he’s been showing it all year.”
Demidov’s own explanation for his turnaround was the kind of line hockey players like to believe—“This game, Hockey Gods decided that I have to score”—but Montreal’s message has been that the bigger force is the work he’s done and the way the team has prepared for what Game 6 will demand.
With Saturday’s first puck set for Montreal’s best atmosphere, the Canadiens are betting that the right mindset, the right focus, and one more sharp performance—this time at Bell Centre—will be enough to close out the Sabres and move on.
Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres Game 6 Bell Centre Lindy Ruff Martin St. Louis Artyom Demidov Juraj Slafkovsky Cole Caufield Eastern Conference Final