Canadiens 3-2 – Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans swing the momentum as Montreal beats Buffalo 6-3 to go up 3-2 in the second round.
A fast, clinical Montreal surge turned Thursday night into a turning point for the Canadiens, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 to seize a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.
Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans struck 68 seconds apart late in the second period. lifting the Canadiens after Buffalo had been hanging around.. Montreal’s surge came in the three-goal stretch of the second period. a run that changed the game’s complexion and allowed the visitors to build separation before the third period even began.
Montreal didn’t lead until Evans’ go-ahead moment at 3:45 remaining, when he swept a loose puck over the line behind Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. That goal put the Canadiens up 4-3, and it set the stage for the sharpest burst of the night.
Ten seconds into a power-play opportunity, Suzuki doubled down.. He converted Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-handed pass from the end boards. beating Luukkonen through the legs with a shot from the lower right circle.. It was a sequence that mixed Montreal’s patience with decisive execution. and it effectively widened the gap when Buffalo needed stops most.
The Canadiens’ scoring didn’t stop there. Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Ivan Demidov and Alexandre Texier all found the net for Montreal, which will host Game 6 on Saturday night with a chance to move one step closer to the semifinal round.
In goal, Jakub Dobes faced a difficult beginning.. He allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced. but recovered to finish with 33 saves as Montreal’s defensive structure and offense combined to push the final score to a comfortable margin.. Buffalo’s scorers. Josh Doan. Jason Zucker and rookie Konsta Helenius. kept the Sabres within striking distance for stretches before the Canadiens took control.
Luukkonen started but was pulled after two periods, marking the second time he’s been yanked this postseason.. Alex Lyon then took over and “mopped up,” allowing a goal on three shots.. The switch also raised the stakes for Buffalo’s goaltending picture. particularly with Lyon potentially in line to regain starting duties after losing the job following a 6-2 setback in Game 3.
Montreal’s breakthrough wasn’t limited to the result; it was tied to production, especially from its top line.. The report highlighted that Suzuki. Slafkovsky and Caufield finally delivered the kind of scoring output needed in a tight series. as the trio combined for a goal. two assists. three assists. and a score for Caufield.. In the first four games. their group had managed four goals and five assists. but the Thursday night performance provided a more decisive statement.
Star defenseman Lane Hutson also made his presence felt. notching two assists to bring his total to six across four outings.. With games tightening at this stage. contributions from the back end have often been the difference between staying afloat and taking command. and Hutson’s play fed into Montreal’s momentum.
The scoring timeline itself hinted at why Buffalo’s issues have been hard to patch.. In the early stages. the two teams combined for five goals in the first 10:15. including Doan and Texier scoring nine seconds apart.. That burst set a rapid tempo. and it culminated with Helenius putting Buffalo up 3-2 on a shot from the top of the right circle that slipped through Dobes’ legs.
After that, Montreal’s response arrived in force.. The five goals overall were produced in a span of 8:15—ranking among the fastest such sequences in playoff meetings between two teams—before the Canadiens finished the second period with the decisive three-goal run.. Once Suzuki and Evans struck back-to-back moments late in the period, Buffalo’s margin for error narrowed quickly.
There was also a larger pattern behind Buffalo’s defensive struggles.. The report noted that after allowing 12 goals in six games against Boston in their first-round matchup. the Sabres have now conceded 21 to Montreal—and 19 in the past four games.. Thursday’s 6-3 loss reinforced that this issue wasn’t confined to a single night but has been accumulating throughout the series.
For Montreal. the implications are clear: it is one win from advancing to the semifinal round for the first time since the Covid-era format altered the 2021 postseason.. The Canadiens eventually reached the Stanley Cup Final that year and lost to Tampa Bay in five games. making the possibility of returning to the semifinal stage feel like more than just a step forward.
Meanwhile, the road back for Buffalo gets steeper with the series returning to Montreal for Game 6.. The Sabres have shown they can compete at home—dropping two of three at Buffalo this series—but the shift in goal-scoring momentum and Montreal’s late-second-period control leave Buffalo needing more consistency on both ends if it’s going to extend the matchup.
Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres Nick Suzuki Jake Evans NHL playoffs Game 6 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Canadiens really just flipped it in the second period? 6-3 sounds like they woke up and chose violence. Buffalo always looks like they’re about to come back and then nope.
Wait so Suzuki scored and then Evans scored like 68 seconds apart? That’s wild. I didn’t even know this series was at 3-2 now tbh, playoffs are fast.
Isn’t Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen the goalie for like… another team? Or am I mixing him up. Either way letting two goals that quick seems like bad defense, like they just froze.
Dobes gave up 3 on the first 4 shots?? Then he rebounds with 33 saves… kinda sounds like the team turned it into a highlight reel. Also they said Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Ivan Demidov, and Alexandre Texier all scored which is basically everyone but my cousin scoring lol. Hopefully Buffalo figures it out before Game 6 cause home ice will do work.