Sabres Surge Past Canadiens 8-3 to Force Decisive Game 7

In a thrilling display of resilience, the Buffalo Sabres overcame a rocky start to dominate the Montreal Canadiens 8-3, securing a pivotal Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. After a shaky beginning that saw starting goaltender Alex Lyon pulled after just one save on four shots, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stepped in and made 18 saves, turning the tide for Buffalo.

The victory sets the stage for a decisive showdown on Monday night in Buffalo, where the winner will advance to face the Carolina Hurricanes for the conference title and a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. Carolina, having swept both of their previous series, last played on May 9.

“I think if you would have asked every guy in here in September if they would have taken being in Game 7 in Round 2, we all would have signed up for that,” said Buffalo forward Tage Thompson. “So, we’re in a great spot. Now it’s just one game. That’s all that matters.”

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was a standout performer, contributing a goal and four assists for a team playoff-record five points. Despite trailing 3-1 midway through the first period, Buffalo rallied to take control of the game. “We believed in it from the beginning and (Luukkonen) came in and gave us a little boost,” Dahlin remarked. “It was a mix of everything, but I’m super happy with the character from today’s game.”

Jack Quinn was instrumental in the Sabres’ comeback, scoring two goals and adding an assist, while Thompson recorded three assists and an empty-net goal. Zach Benson and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist, and Konsta Helenius and Zach Metsa also found the back of the net.

On the other side, Montreal’s scoring efforts came from Arber Xhekaj, Ivan Demidov, and Jake Evans. Despite a promising start, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki expressed disbelief at the outcome. “Pretty shocked,” he said. “We’re up 3-1 in the first period and we lose 8-3.”

The game began with Dahlin lighting the lamp just 32 seconds in, but Montreal quickly responded with three unanswered goals. Xhekaj tied the game at 1:40, Demidov netted a power-play goal at 8:12, and Evans extended the lead to 3-1 with a short-handed breakaway at 9:46. Luukkonen’s entrance marked a turning point, as Buffalo’s Zucker pulled one back on a power play with 6:04 remaining in the first.

Buffalo continued to build momentum in the second period, with Benson tying the game just a minute in. Quinn then put the Sabres ahead with a power-play goal at 9:06, firing a one-timer from the top of the right circle past goaltender Jakub Dobes. Helenius added to the lead, making it 5-3 with a close-range strike.

Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson acknowledged the shift in momentum, stating, “We did have control of it. They made a push, they made some good plays, and we didn’t really fight back hard enough for whatever reason.” Quinn capped off his stellar performance with a second power-play goal midway through the third, followed by Thompson’s empty-netter and Metsa’s late power-play goal, sealing the Sabres’ victory. Buffalo finished an impressive 4 for 6 on the power play, while Montreal went 1 for 3.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.