Canadiens Game – Montreal’s Jakub Dobes rebounded after a shaky start to beat Buffalo 6-3 and earn a chance to eliminate the Sabres in Game 6.
A jittery start turned into a full-body redemption act at KeyBank Center as the Montreal Canadiens answered the Buffalo Sabres in emphatic fashion, winning 6-3 in Game 5 and setting up a chance to close out the series at the Bell Centre.
For Jakub Dobes. it was the kind of night that captures a goalie’s mental swing: he surrendered three goals on the first four shots he faced. then steadied completely. stopping the next 31.. For Ivan Demidov. it followed a step back earlier in the week with a decisive surge Thursday. producing the most pivotal plays.. It was also reflected in Montreal’s power play. which had gone one-for-seven in its previous outing but scored on both of its attempts in this one.
The Canadiens’ emotional turnaround was matched by their tactical clarity through chaos.. They erased Buffalo’s lead just 4:31 after Jason Zucker scored two minutes into the first period. and they did it again quickly when Josh Doan put the Sabres back ahead 2-1 at 7:54 of that opening frame.. Montreal did not stay rattled for long. even after Konsta Helenius appeared to put the pressure back on when his shot leaked through Lane Hutson and slipped past Dobes to make it 3-2 at 10:15 into the first.
Juraj Slafkvosky framed the response in simple terms: the scoreboard can change, but the focus can’t. His message was echoed by the way Montreal kept its structure while absorbing the early disruption.
That steadiness began with a goalie change in tone as well as personnel.. Stung by what had started poorly for Dobes, Montreal’s coaching staff, led by Martin St.. Louis, looked down the bench and radioed up to goaltending coach Marco Marciano after Helenius scored.. St.. Louis said the decision came quickly. and the plan was to move on—then let the work show on the ice.
Dobs immediately played like the call had reset the room.. As Montreal continued coughing up pucks early in the second period and the Sabres pushed for offense. Dobes made a save that altered the momentum.. Tage Thompson came streaking into Montreal’s end with the puck, trying to cut through with speed and space.. He got the sweep motion—backhand to forehand—but Dobes stopped him. a denial Nick Suzuki later described as huge. particularly because it happened during a moment where Montreal’s line was getting pinned and transitions could quickly swing a game.
That save arrived 3:49 into the second period and gave the Canadiens the breathing room they needed to tilt the ice.. Over the next four minutes. the momentum became visible on the scoreboard as Josh Anderson tied the game 3-3. forcing Buffalo to absorb another rally just as it looked like it had momentum on its side.
Anderson’s equalizer carried extra weight because of what the playoffs had already demanded from Montreal’s lineup.. Earlier in this postseason. he had been shut down by Tampa Bay Lightning through the first seven games of the playoffs. and the trajectory seemed to dip further in Round 1 where he finished without the same production he showed in the regular season. when he led NHL rookies with 19 goals and 62 points.. The pattern mattered: after early momentum that built in the first three games of Round 2. Game 4 had shown a different Canadiens—one where the power play struggled and Anderson’s contributions were blunted.
Even so, Montreal kept pressing.. Demidov had chances early in Game 5 until one of them finally turned into a breakout moment.. He capitalized to sneak the puck through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, giving the Canadiens a key lead.. Shortly after, Jake Evans tucked home a goal for a 4-3 Canadiens advantage at 16:15 into the second period.
The Canadiens then attacked at the exact moment the series demanded urgency.. Suzuki scored a late-second-period power-play goal that ultimately chased Luukkonen from the game to start the third.. Demidov followed with his own decisive finish. beating Alex Lyon for his first playoff goal. a moment he described as something he believed was coming because he felt he had 100% scoring chances in every game he’s had to this point.
“Every game I’ve had 100 per cent chances to score,” Demidov said, adding that in this game the “Hockey Gods” decided he would find the net—an attitude that matched the way Montreal kept generating opportunities even after their early deficits.
Once Montreal found that rhythm, it didn’t let go.. The Canadiens finished the job, with Dobes and the team’s collective response becoming central to the win.. Dobes said he was proud not only of how Montreal stepped up when it needed to. but also of his own persistence in continuing to make saves despite the start that could have broken a weaker night.
The story of Dobes’ confidence is also easier to see when placed in sequence.. The report noted his strong regular-season pattern after losses. where he was 13-2-2 directly following defeats. and it also highlighted that in these playoffs he had been perfect in a similar situation with a 4-0 record. a 1.49 goals-against average. and a .948 save percentage directly following losses.. But the Game 5 opening burst made it feel like history was about to be disrupted—until it wasn’t.
Suzuki pointed to the intangibles as the reason Dobes could absorb the early blow and keep competing. praising his confidence. the work he puts in off the ice. and the mental training he’s had in place.. Suzuki also emphasized that Dobes has the attitude Montreal wants from its goalie in tight. physical battles—someone who wants to be in the fight. not hiding behind the equipment.
St.. Louis later described a shift in Montreal’s game during the second period. noting that momentum took hold for about 12-13 minutes.. From there. the Canadiens reportedly reached a higher level of execution. played more as a unit. and scored “big goals. ” which is exactly what the end-of-Game 5 scoreboard reflected.
Now the next step is immediate.. With Game 5 in the books. Montreal has the chance to dispatch the Sabres and move on toward the Eastern Conference Final. where they would meet the Carolina Hurricanes.. Suzuki stressed how hard it can be to close out a team. pointing to what happened against Tampa Bay. when it took a lot for Montreal to finish the job.
For Game 6, the stakes are clear and the environment is expected to match them. Suzuki said the crowd should be fully engaged long before puck drop and that the arena will be “rocking,” with the Canadiens ready to close it out when they take the ice at the Bell Centre.
For Buffalo. the margin is painful: a game with early leads and momentum moments still ended with Montreal’s mental reset producing the finish.. For Montreal. this win doesn’t just tie the storyline together—it sets the tone for what comes next. and it does so with a goalie who turned a rough opening into a defining run.
Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres Game 5 Jakub Dobes Ivan Demidov Stanley Cup playoffs Bell Centre