Sabres strike early, take Game 1 over Canadiens in second-round opener
Posted May 6, 2026 6:20 pm.
Last Updated May 6, 2026 11:38 pm.
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in Game 1 of the NHL playoffs’ second round on Wednesday night at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo entered the matchup as the top seed in the Atlantic Division after eliminating the Boston Bruins in six games during the opening round. The Sabres were led offensively by Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod, who each finished with a goal and an assist.
Montreal, meanwhile, arrived in Buffalo after a grueling seven-game first-round series victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadiens struggled to match Buffalo’s pace early and never fully recovered after falling behind by two goals in the opening period.
Sabres capitalize early
Prior to puck drop, Canadiens fans could be seen arriving outside KeyBank Center, many making the trip across the border to support Montreal in its first second-round appearance since 2021.
The Sabres opened the scoring 4:31 into the first period after Canadiens rookie defenseman Lane Hutson mishandled the puck in the neutral zone and fell near the Montreal bench. Benson collected the loose puck and broke into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 before sending a saucer pass across the crease to Doan, who tapped the puck into the open net to make it 1-0.
Buffalo doubled its lead midway through the period on the power play. After winning a puck battle in the slot, Doan pushed the puck toward Benson, who quickly fed McLeod for another backdoor finish past sprawling Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeš.
The Sabres’ power play entered the game under heavy scrutiny after converting just once in 24 opportunities during the opening round against Boston. Buffalo responded in Game 1 by scoring twice on three chances.
Canadiens show signs of life
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored Montreal’s first goal of the second round late in the opening frame. After circling behind the net, Juraj Slafkovský carried the puck around Sabres netminder Alex Lyon before finding Suzuki alone at the side of the crease for a tap-in.
Any momentum Montreal gained was short-lived.
Early in the second period, Jordan Greenway restored Buffalo’s two-goal advantage with a hard wrist shot that beat Dobeš to make it 3-1.
Moments later, Bowen Byram added another power-play goal, snapping a shot from between the circles past Dobeš to give the Sabres a commanding 4-1 lead. The goal marked Byram’s fourth of the playoffs, tying a Sabres franchise postseason record for goals by a defenseman.
Dobeš finished the night with 12 saves on 16 shots, while Lyon stopped 26 of 28 shots to earn the victory.
Dach provides late highlight
The Canadiens answered late in the second period with the game’s most impressive individual effort.
Following a turnover as Buffalo attempted to exit its defensive zone, Kirby Dach drove down the right wing and cut around a sliding defender before firing a shot on goal. Lyon made the initial save with his pad, but Dach collected his own rebound while falling and lifted a backhand over the goalie’s glove to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Despite the goal, Montreal was unable to mount a comeback in the third period.
The Canadiens have yet to win consecutive playoff games this postseason and appeared to be feeling the effects of their emotionally and physically demanding first-round series against Tampa Bay, in which all seven games were decided by one goal.
Fans keep faith at L’espace 1909
Back in Montreal, Canadiens fans filled L’espace 1909, creating a charged atmosphere as they followed the action together during Round 2.
Inside the venue, every screen was tuned to the matchup against Buffalo as fans reacted to every hit, save and scoring chance. Rally towels waved across both levels while chants of “Go Habs Go” echoed throughout the watch party.
Youppi! also made appearances throughout the night, helping keep the crowd energized despite the loss.
Even after the final buzzer, many supporters remained optimistic about Montreal’s chances in the series.
One fan said she was disappointed with the result but remained hopeful moving forward.
“I feel that they could have done a better job, but it’s fine, it happens,” she said. “I hope next game they’ll win.”
Another supporter pointed to Montreal’s difficult second period as the turning point.
“Feeling sad too. I thought we were going to win,” he said. “It was a good game, but we didn’t play well in the second period.”
“We didn’t defend much, and the other team has big guys on defense, so it’s a little bit harder for us since we have smaller players. We’re going to try again in the second match. Let’s hope we win. Go Habs Go!”
A third fan remained confident the Canadiens would recover.
“A bit sad about the score, but I’m sure we will handle this in the next games,” he said. “We’re going to win this series, no worries about that.”
He added that Buffalo’s size created matchup problems for Montreal’s smaller forwards.
“They have big players, and we have (smaller) players like Cole Caufield,” he said. “They can’t find a place in the game, it’s a bit more difficult for us, but we’ll find a way to score more goals.”
Another fan described the series as a different challenge than Montreal’s opening-round matchup against Tampa Bay.
“It’s going to be a tough one,” she said. “I think that with Tampa Bay it was more physical, more about the fight, but they played very good hockey and it’s two young teams. But still, Go Habs Go!”
Others focused on the atmosphere surrounding the team despite the defeat.
“A little bit disappointed, but it was a good game,” one woman said.
Another fan praised the passion Canadiens supporters continue to show during the playoff run.
“I feel great just because of how much passion we have for hockey,” he said. “I know we’re going to come back and it’s all going to be alright. I’m excited for Game 2 because we’re going to win that one.”
One supporter summed up the game in classic hockey fashion.
“You’ve got to get pucks deep, dump and chase, and get shots on goal,” he said. “It’s tough out there.”
Several fans also stressed that the series is far from over.
“There’s still a chance,” one woman said. “It’s only the first game, so I wish them the best of luck.”
“I always like to believe because we’re Canadiens fans and anything can happen. I’m so excited — it’s just Game 1, so anything can happen,” another added.
And one particularly confident supporter offered his prediction in just four words:
“Habs in five, baby.”
The Canadiens now look to even the series in Game 2 Friday night in Buffalo.
