Sabres beat Canadiens 3-2 in Game 4, tying second-round series 2-2
Posted May 12, 2026 10:15 pm.
Last Updated May 12, 2026 11:38 pm.
The Buffalo Sabres evened their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens with a gutsy victory on Tuesday night
Zach Benson scored the winner and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots as the Sabres held off the Canadiens 3-2 in an intense Game 4 of long reviews, weird bounces and numerous penalties, tying the second-round playoff matchup at two games apiece.
Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson — on a fortuitous deflection — also scored for Buffalo, as the Sabres responded after dropping Games 2 and 3 by a combined score of 11-3. Josh Doan added two assists, while Thompson had one helper for a two-point night.
Luukkonen stood tall in his first appearance since a Game 2 loss in the opening round against Boston. He replaced Alex Lyon after the back-to-back lopsided defeats.
Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield replied for Montreal, which went 1-for-7 on the power play. Jakub Dobes made 19 saves.
A late push wasn’t enough for the Canadiens, who dropped a 3-2 decision to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.
The difference maker came early in the third period, when the Sabres struck on the power play for the second time in four opportunities on the night.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, converted just once on seven chances with the man advantage, courtesy of Caufield. Newhook scored Montreal’s other goal.
Dobes stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced on Tuesday.
The series shifts back to Buffalo for Game 5 on Thursday night before returning to the Bell Centre for Game 6 on Saturday.
Benson strikes early in the third period
Benson put the Sabres ahead 3-2 with a power-play goal 4:41 into the third when he shovelled a backhand past Dobes’s glove from the edge of the blue paint while Jake Evans sat in the penalty box for holding.
The Canadiens had failed to capitalize on a four-minute man advantage late in the second into the third period, with Luukkonen denying Ivan Demidov and Nick Suzuki missing the net on a Grade A chance.
Later in the third, Dobes slid across his crease to rob Konsta Helenius on a 2-on-1, dropping his stick to make the save and breathe life into the Bell Centre.
Dobes denied Helenius again with under three minutes left, this time stopping him with the blocker to keep it a one-goal game.
The Canadiens goalie then left his net for an extra attacker with two minutes remaining, but Montreal couldn’t muster a quality chance before time ran out.
Bell Centre atmosphere reaches another level
The renowned Bell Centre atmosphere, earning praise on social media across Canada and south of the border this week, was jacked up following Sunday’s win and hit another deafening peak before puck drop after the energy rattled the Sabres in Game 3.
This time, Guy Carbonneau — the captain the last time the Canadiens won the Cup in 1993 — carried the ceremonial torch into the lower bowl. Cheers then hit ear-splitting decibels when Dobes was announced in the starting lineup before the crackling crowd sang “O Canada” in full voice.
Long reviews and momentum swings define opening period
But the visitors opened the scoring 6:32 into the first period when Samuelsson finished a pretty passing play with Josh Norris and Doan on the rush, with the Sabres dominating the shots 8-1 early.
A strange sequence followed less than two minutes later as Jack Quinn’s scoring chance, which Dobes initially appeared to stop, was ruled a goal and then taken away on a pair of reviews.
Quinn sent a shot into Dobes’s glove off a rebound, leading to a whistle. The officials reviewed the play late in the ensuing TV break, ruling Dobes’s glove crossed the line with the puck.
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, however, successfully challenged for goalie interference because Helenius made contact with Dobes before Quinn’s attempt, sending the crowd into a frenzy after the 10-minute delay.
The turn of events completely swung the momentum as red-hot Newhook tied the game at 10:08, converting a pass from Jake Evans for his fifth goal in three games.
Caufield then gave the Canadiens a 2-1 lead with 13 seconds left in the opening period, slipping a cheeky shot between Luukkonen’s legs on the power play after Thompson took a needless cross-checking penalty.
Thompson benefits from fortunate bounce in second period
Luukkonen responded early in the second with two stellar saves on Caufield during another Canadiens power play, denying him from the slot before stretching out the pad on a one-timer.
Thompson then scored on a fluky dump-in from centre ice to tie the game on the power play seven minutes into the middle frame. Instead of rolling along the boards behind the net, the puck bounced off an edge in the corner and redirected off Dobes’s pad and in.
Fans outside Bell Centre remain confident despite Game 4 loss
Outside the Bell Centre following the loss, Canadiens fans shared a mix of frustration, heartbreak and optimism about the remainder of the series.
One woman who travelled hours to attend the game admitted she left disappointed.
“Not good. There were a lot of missed passes and the defence wasn’t up to par. But I trust Marty that they’re going to learn from their mistakes. Terrible feeling. I drove six hours just to watch them lose.”
Other fans quickly shifted the focus to the bigger picture, insisting Montreal would still win the series.
“We’re going to win in six.”
Another supporter echoed that confidence.
“We trust Montreal. We’re going to come back strong and we’re going to win this series,” one fan said.
“It was a bit tighter, but I felt like this game was not ours, and we’re going to take back another game and win this series,” he added.
Despite the result, some fans simply appreciated the playoff atmosphere.
“We lost, but it’s very fun and very cool to be here with all the fans.”
One Canadiens supporter pointed to Luukkonen’s strong play while maintaining faith in Martin St. Louis and the team moving forward.
“You know, I feel alright. I mean, it was always going to be Habs in 6, so I’m really not that worried. Luukkonen had a really good game. They played really good defence today, but it’s not going to last,” he said.
“Caufield is back on. He got another goal tonight. That’s two goals in two games, right boys? Yeah, no, I mean, I feel alright. We’re fine. We’re going to be alright. It was a good game though,” he added.
Others were far less upbeat in the moments after the final horn.
“We lost. It’s depressing. My heart is broken.”
“I’m going to go home and cry,” another fan added.
“So sad. I’m so sad,” another supporter said.
Several fans also pointed to Montreal’s approach on offence and the unlucky bounce on Buffalo’s second goal.
“Listen, we played well but, I mean, too many blocked shots. We have to hit it on net and make Luukkonen move. He’s rusty. We’re going to test him more. But listen, go Habs go. I know deep down we’ll win.”
“Habs in 6. We just have to stop with all the passing on the power play. Get pucks on net. Rebounds are going to go in and yeah, Habs in 6. Let’s go.”
One final fan said the Canadiens deserved a better result despite the loss.
“Very disappointed, obviously, but I think we played a good game. We have to win the next one,” he said.
“I think we played better than them, but we had a bad bounce for Buffalo’s second goal. But it is what it is, you know? But I’m confident we will be back.”
