The Montreal Canadiens did not rely on their star players to secure a crucial victory on Friday night. While the top line of captain Nick Suzuki between Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky had a relatively quiet game, Alex Newhook stepped up to fill the void, scoring two goals to lead the Canadiens to a 5-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second-round series at KeyBank Center.
Newhook Ignites Canadiens Early
It was the first time in 41 career Stanley Cup playoff games that Newhook scored two goals. He had only three goals in his previous 40 playoff appearances. Newhook got the Canadiens going early, redirecting a feed from Kaiden Guhle past Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon just 1:36 into the first period. Less than three minutes later, defenseman Mike Matheson scored on a shot from the point, giving Montreal a 2-0 lead.
Second Period Dominance
Newhook struck again early in the second period, beating Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin to the net to tap a pass from Jake Evans into the net at 4:47, putting the Canadiens up 3-0. Zach Benson, a persistent nuisance for Buffalo's opponents, tipped a Conor Timmins pass behind Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes to get the Sabres on the scoreboard in the final minute of the second period.
Canadiens Seal the Victory
The Sabres could not build momentum from Benson's goal heading into the third period. At 3:54 of the final frame, defenseman Alexandre Carrier scored bar down over Lyon's glove after keeping the puck on a two-on-one rush. Buffalo never seriously threatened after that goal, as the Canadiens displayed more hunger than they did in the series opener. Suzuki scored into an empty net with four minutes remaining to seal the 5-1 victory.
Special Teams Struggles Continue for Sabres
The Sabres' power play regressed after scoring twice on three opportunities in Game 1. Buffalo, which went 1-for-24 in the first round against the Boston Bruins, failed to score on five power plays in Game 2. The best-of-seven series is now tied, with Game 3 scheduled for Sunday night at the Bell Centre.
