Canadiens vs – Zach Benson netted the winner as Buffalo edged Montreal 3-2 in Game 4, tying the series 2-2 with major special-teams swings.
A playoff swing can feel tiny until it suddenly decides everything, and Game 4 did exactly that for the Sabres as Zach Benson’s winning goal sealed a 3-2 triumph over the Canadiens to tie the second-round series at 2-2.
Benson scored the decisive power-play goal 4:41 into the third period. shovelling a backhand past Alex Dobes’s glove from the edge of the blue paint while Jake Evans sat in the box for holding.. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. making his first appearance since a Game 2 loss in the opening round against Boston. then closed the door for Buffalo. stopping 28 shots as the Sabres held off a late Montreal push.
For Buffalo, Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson also found the net.. Samuelsson scored off a passing play that featured Josh Norris and Josh Doan on the rush. and Thompson added a second assist night of his own in a game that turned heavily on momentum and penalties.. Doan finished with two assists, while Thompson recorded a single helper for a two-point performance.
Montreal answered through Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield, but their effort was muffled by a power-play that went 1-for-7. Jakub Dobes made 19 saves for the Canadiens, and while his night included multiple critical stops, late-game chances and the margin of execution ultimately fell short.
The storyline around Luukkonen’s return was immediate and substantial.. He replaced Alex Lyon after back-to-back lopsided defeats in Games 2 and 3. when Buffalo had been outscored 11-3 over those two contests.. This time. Montreal’s ability to generate offense was repeatedly tested. and the goaltending shift became a turning point in the way the series looked after the Canadiens had pulled even earlier.
Game 4’s pace was defined by constant reviews, unusual bounces, and a parade of penalties that shaped both special teams and decision-making by the coaching staffs. The physical and stop-start nature of the night also meant that the game’s key swings often arrived after breaks in play.
Buffalo’s first goal came at 6:32 of the opening period.. Samuelsson finished a rush sequence. with Norris and Doan contributing to the setup. and the Sabres set an early tone by dominating shots 8-1 in the period.. Just when Montreal appeared to be settling. a strange sequence less than two minutes later turned into a major momentum shift.
Jack Quinn’s scoring attempt seemed to be denied at first by Dobes. but officials ruled it a goal and then removed it after review.. Quinn’s rebound shot went off Dobes’s glove. prompting a whistle. and after the late TV-break review it was determined that Dobes’s glove crossed the line with the puck.. Canadiens coach Martin St.. Louis. however. challenged for goalie interference. and the outcome flipped again when the challenge succeeded because Konsta Helenius made contact with Dobes before Quinn’s attempt. creating a 10-minute delay and an even louder reaction from the crowd.
Those swings helped reset the game’s emotional tide, and Montreal capitalized soon after.. Newhook tied the score at 10:08 of the first. converting a pass from Jake Evans for his fifth goal in three games.. The Canadiens then struck again late in the opening frame. as Caufield moved ahead 2-1 with 13 seconds remaining by sneaking a cheeky power-play shot between Luukkonen’s legs after Thompson took a needless cross-checking penalty.
Luukkonen’s response in the second period was a major counterweight to Montreal’s power-play momentum.. He made two standout saves on Caufield during another Canadiens man advantage. denying him from the slot before stretching out the pad on a one-timer.. Even with Buffalo trailing at that point. the goaltender’s rebound control and positioning kept the Canadiens from building a runaway lead.
Thompson then tied the game at 7 minutes into the second, scoring on a fluky dump-in from centre ice.. Instead of rolling smoothly along the boards behind the net. the puck bounced off an edge in the corner and redirected off Dobes’s pad and in. illustrating how a single irregular bounce can erase an entire plan.
As the match tightened into the final stretch, Dobes continued to make saves that mattered.. In the third period. he slid across his crease to rob Konsta Helenius on a 2-on-1. dropping his stick to complete the stop and keep Montreal within reach.. With under three minutes left, Dobes denied Helenius again, stopping him with the blocker to preserve a one-goal game.
Montreal’s final push featured a late tactical gamble.. Dobes left his net for an extra attacker with two minutes remaining. but the Canadiens could not generate a quality scoring chance before time expired.. That inability to turn pressure into payoff handed Buffalo the last decisive advantage, capped by Benson’s third-period power-play strike.
Outside the rink, the atmosphere at the Bell Centre carried its own momentum. The famed crowd energy, highlighted on social media across Canada and beyond this week after Sunday’s win, surged again ahead of Game 4 after the energy had rattled the Sabres in Game 3.
For this one. Guy Carbonneau. the captain the last time the Canadiens won the Cup in 1993. carried the ceremonial torch into the lower bowl.. Cheers followed with ear-splitting intensity when Dobes was announced in the starting lineup. and the crowd sang “O Canada” in full voice before puck drop.. That kind of pre-game charge set the stage for a night that featured everything from technical reviews to emotion-heavy moments.
With the series now level at 2-2, the next chapter heads back to where the Sabres started to find their footing. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday night in Buffalo, before the teams return to the Bell Centre for Game 6 on Saturday.
For both teams. the implications are clear: the Canadiens proved they can swing quickly with special teams and momentum. while Buffalo showed it can respond after painful losses with a major change in goaltending and timely finishing.. When the next games arrive. the balance between disciplined penalty control and capitalizing on short-handed breakdowns could decide whether this series tilts toward Montreal’s resurgence or Buffalo’s push to take command.
Canadiens vs Sabres Game 4 Zach Benson Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Alex Dobes NHL playoffs series tied 2-2