BUFFALO — As the Montreal Canadiens gear up for a decisive Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, head coach Martin St. Louis is delivering a clear message: don't strive for perfection, just find a way to win.
St. Louis Urges Players to Leave It All on the Ice
“It’s about finding a way,” St. Louis said at the Canadiens’ downtown hotel. “You don’t get a do-over, so just leave it out there.” The coach didn't need to look far for examples of imperfect victories. In their first-round Game 7 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on May 3, the Canadiens were outshot 29-9 but secured a 2-1 victory on a third-period goal by Alex Newhook.
This second-round series between the Sabres and Canadiens has been unpredictable, with four of six games decided by at least three goals. Only Game 4, a 3-2 Sabres win, was a one-goal affair. Montreal has shown resilience, posting a 5-0-0 record in playoff games following a loss, but they couldn't sustain pressure after taking a 3-1 lead in Game 6, allowing Buffalo to score seven unanswered goals.
Goaltending and Team Unity
Goaltender Jakub Dobes, pulled in favor of Jacob Fowler after two periods, must have a short memory. His teammates also need to forget the lopsided loss. “A lot of us have gone through this together, the rebuild, a couple tough years, and then last year, squeaking into the playoffs,” defenseman Kaiden Guhle said. “In this moment, where we’re at right now, it’s so much more special that we’ve all gone through all of that together. It’s a tight group. You want to do all this for each other.”
Sabres Seek Rare Game 7 Win
Unlike the Canadiens, the Sabres lack recent Game 7 experience. Buffalo has a 1-6 record in Game 7s in franchise history, with the sole victory coming in 1997 against the Ottawa Senators. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff opted for a team hotel stay on Sunday to foster focus. “You’ve got a lot of friends, a lot of family close by,” Ruff said. “We just tried to get away from that and be with the group, be with each other, wrap our arms around this opportunity.”
The winner advances to the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. For the Canadiens, the mantra is simple: leave everything on the ice.
