The Buffalo Sabres drew first blood in their Eastern Conference second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, securing a 4-2 victory in Game 1 on Wednesday night at KeyBank Center. The win came just 72 hours after the Canadiens eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the first round, but any momentum from that triumph failed to carry over.
Sabres Dominate Early
In front of a lively and raucous crowd, the Sabres came out with intensity and persistence that the Canadiens could not match. Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes struggled, allowing four goals on the first nine shots he faced. The Sabres also hit the post multiple times, with Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin among those who beat Dobes but not the iron.
Special teams played a crucial role, as the Sabres scored two power-play goals on three opportunities. This marked a significant improvement for Buffalo, which had gone 1-for-24 on the man advantage in six first-round games against the Boston Bruins.
Key Goals and Turning Points
The Sabres opened the scoring at 4:31 of the first period when Zach Benson set up Josh Doan after Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson fell in the neutral zone. Hutson also took a rare penalty early in the game, contributing to a difficult opening 20 minutes.
Benson then assisted Ryan McLeod on a power-play goal at 13:26 to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki pulled one back with a power-play goal in the final minute of the first period, but Jordan Greenway restored the two-goal lead early in the second period, beating Dobes with a shot that deflected off the goalie's glove and into the net.
Bowen Byram extended the lead to 4-1 at 9:01 of the second period with a shot from the slot. Kirby Dach scored late in the second period for Montreal, knocking in his own rebound while falling, but the Canadiens could not get any closer.
Looking Ahead
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday in Buffalo. The Canadiens will need to adjust quickly if they hope to even the series before it shifts to Montreal.
