Canadians score 3 in the 2nd period to take 5-3 lead in Game 5

Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (9) passes the puck past Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson, left, during the first period in Game 2 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Posted May 14, 2026 6:02 pm.

Last Updated May 14, 2026 9:06 pm.

The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are looking to both looking to take command of a back-and-forth series, Thursday night in Buffalo.

The Sabres evened the series with a 3-2 win in Montreal on Tuesday, thanks to third period power play goal from Zach Benson.

Game 5 favours Montreal, despite being the road team, as each side has only won two games at home so far in the playoffs.

Taking a look back at the series, the Sabres won Game 1 by a score of 4-2, while the Habs responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2. The series shifted to Montreal, where the Canadiens got their second victory, winning 6-2 in Game 3, before the Sabres won Game 4 by a score of 3-2.

Game coverage

The Buffalo Sabres opened the scoring early in the first period when Jack Quinn fired a wrist shot from the blueline, which deflected off some bodies in front of the crease and into the net. Jason Zucker would end up getting credited with the goal, which would be his first of the playoffs.

Cole Caufield would find the equalizer for the Habs four and a half minutes later, when the Canadiens were applying the pressure in the Sabres zone. Juraj Slafkovský would work the puck to Nick Suzuki, who would find Caufield for the back-door tap-in to make it 1-1.

COLE CAUFIELD TIES IT UP FOR THE HABS ???? pic.twitter.com/kcffws1rvL
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 14, 2026

Just over a minute later, the Sabres would regain the lead of the game, following a turnover by the Habs. Josh Doan would end up firing the puck past Jakub Dobeš, getting the assist from Owen Power.

Then just nine seconds later, the Canadiens would fire the puck into the Sabres’ zone following the draw, and Phillip Denault would scoop it up against the boards, pushing it back towards the blueline to Alexandre Carrier, who would fire a shot off Alexandre Texier and into the Sabres net to make it 2-2.

THIS GAME!!

ALEX TEXIER QUICKLY ANSWERS FOR THE CANADIENS ???? pic.twitter.com/1Yq7PDZJok
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 14, 2026

Just beyond the midway point of the first period, the Sabres would take their third lead of the game when Mattias Samuelsson carried the puck into the Habs’ end and passed the puck to Konsta Helenius. Helenius would initially mishandle the puck before sending a shot toward the net, which deflected off a defender’s skate past Dobeš.

The Canadiens would level the game again, this time eight minutes into the second period, when Lane Hutson passed a puck through the Sabres’ crease, finding Josh Anderson, who would tuck the puck into the net to make it 3-3.

WHAT A PLAY BY LANE HUTSON ????

JOSH ANDERSON TIES THE GAME!! pic.twitter.com/pTnHnr27ol
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 15, 2026

Montreal would get its first lead of the game when Ivan Demidov shot a puck through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s five-hole, but the puck stopped just short of the goal line. Jake Evans would end up winning the race to the loose puck, poking it in to make it 4-3.

JAKE EVANS GIVES MONTREAL THEIR FIRST LEAD OF GAME 5 ???? pic.twitter.com/9j3zI1qs7r
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 15, 2026

Just a minute and 18 seconds later, the Habs would double their lead on a power play, when Slafkovský would regain possession of the puck, sending it into the slot for Suzuki, who would one-time it past Luukkonen to make it 5-3.