Sabres vs – Montreal took control with a 6-2 Game 3 win, going up 2-1 in the Eastern Second Round series after a power-play surge.
A quick early strike couldn’t mask the bigger story for Buffalo as the Sabres fell 6-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 at the Bell Centre, and the Canadiens now lead the Eastern Conference Second Round series 2-1.
After Montreal secured consecutive wins for the first time this postseason. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff made it clear the result wasn’t a surprise waiting to happen.. “Give them a lot of credit,” Ruff said following the defeat.. He added that Montreal had already proven it was a tough opponent before the series and warned Buffalo that if they didn’t recognize it now. they likely never would.
Buffalo did get a promising start.. Tage Thompson scored just 53 seconds into the game for his third playoff goal. finishing off a shot by Rasmus Dahlin that took a fortunate bounce off the end boards.. For much of the rest of the night, though, that early moment became the exception rather than the pattern.
The Canadiens changed the game in the second period. a stretch that reshaped the contest and flipped momentum decisively toward Montreal.. Cole Caufield opened the surge with a power-play goal at 6:05. and Zachary Bolduc and Juraj Slafkovsky followed with goals less than seven minutes apart. pushing the score to 4-1 and turning the Sabres’ challenge into an uphill battle.
Slafkovsky’s goal extended a notable postseason trend: all four of his playoff goals have come on the power play. That detail mattered in how the Canadiens managed the matchup, because Montreal repeatedly found ways to create chances with the man advantage as the game intensified.
Montreal also controlled the statistical complexion of the night.. The Canadiens outshot Buffalo 36-28, won 62.3% of faceoffs, and converted twice on six power-play opportunities.. Buffalo, by contrast, managed only one power-play goal in four chances and went scoreless on five man-advantage opportunities in Game 2.
In goal, rookie Jakub Dobes continued to draw praise through strong postseason form.. He made 26 saves. and his recent stretch has been particularly steady: he has stopped 54 shots over his last two games. while allowing more than two goals only once in Montreal’s last six playoff contests.. On the other side, Alex Lyon surrendered five goals on 36 shots in his second consecutive loss.
Beyond the scoreboard. Buffalo looked unsettled defensively and emotionally at different points. with costly penalties and losing control during multiple scrums.. Defenseman Bowen Byram acknowledged after the game that the Sabres allowed the Canadiens to dictate the pace and style of play. a reflection that fits with how Montreal attacked and when it struck.
With Monday set aside as an off day, the series turns its focus quickly to the next step. Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night back in Montreal, where Buffalo will need to respond to the kind of second-period swing that defined Game 3.
For Montreal, the win delivered more than a lead in the series.. It showed the Canadiens could string together momentum. especially during a critical window of the game when penalties and power plays set the table.. With Slafkovsky’s power-play scoring continuing to stand out and Dobes providing a stable last line. the Canadiens are building confidence on multiple fronts heading into the next matchup.
For Buffalo. the message from Ruff after the loss is also practical: the Sabres can’t rely on strong openings to balance out deeper issues.. The combination of penalties. defensive lapses. and a failure to contain Montreal’s rhythm will be the central question for Game 4. as the series moves from third-period bursts to the full weight of a close postseason battle.
Buffalo Sabres Montreal Canadiens Game 3 Eastern Conference Second Round Lindy Ruff Jakub Dobes power play
So Buffalo came out hot for 53 seconds, then Montreal just took the keys and didn’t give them back. Sounds like a familiar playoff routine: early hope, then power-play karma. Not exactly shocking, but still rough to watch.
Brian Thompson, the article basically spells out the mechanism: Montreal’s second-period swing coincided with a power-play surge. When Caufield, Bolduc, and Slafkovsky all scored within that tight window, it didn’t just add goals—it crushed Buffalo’s structure. Ruff saying “give them a lot of credit” is basically admitting they lost the special-teams battle and the momentum math.
Credit where it’s due—Montreal looked alive in Game 3. Melissa Grant is right about the power play flipping the whole game, and Brian Thompson you’re also spot-on that that early Tage Thompson strike was the lone bright spot. Once the Canadiens got up 4-1, it was basically game over energy-wise.
Carlos Ramirez, fun to hype the Canadiens, but Buffalo has to figure out how to defend the man advantage. If Slafkovsky’s power-play scoring trend keeps happening and the Sabres keep giving Montreal those chances, this series will end the same way every night—just with a different scoreline.