Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (5-4) will face the Buffalo Sabres (5-3) in Game 3 of their second-round series on Sunday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
The Habs dropped the first game of the series, but the scoreline was a flattering towards the Sabres, who were outshot by Martin St-Louis’ team by a wide margin.
The numbers suggested Montreal would be in a great position to bounce back in Game 2, and though underlying statistics don’t always reveal the future, in this case, it was an accurate prediction.
The Canadiens started Game 2 with the type of intensity that was absent from most first periods throughout the year, powered by an impressive two-goal effort from Newfoundlander Alex Newhook. It took them roughly one minute to establish a lead, and they never looked back, emerging from Buffalo with a 5-1 win, and a tied series.
Simply put, the momentum is now firmly in the Canadiens’ corner, especially now that the series has made its way to Montreal, where the Bell Centre faithful serve as the ultimate motivator.
And they’ll need it, given the play of the first line.
Nick Suzuki continues to produce, as per tradition, but the offence from the other top forwards on the team, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, has slowed to a trickle. Caufield has not registered a point since April 26, versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, whereas Slafkovsky has only offered one assist since his playoff-opening hat-trick on April 19.
This would usually be a recipe for disaster, but Montreal’s depth has done a borderline miraculous job of providing offence when the team needs it most.
Whether it’s Newhook, Kirby Dach, Alexandre Texier, Zachary Bolduc, or Josh Anderson, among others, there always seems to be one player willing to carry the torch while the first line attempts to find its rhythm.
Of course, this is not a sustainable situation, but if Caufield and Slafkovsky do return to their scoring ways, having primary, secondary, and tertiary scoring available would be a game changer for the Canadiens.
Potential Lineup Changes
St-Louis does not like changing his lineup after a win, therefore we can assume the lines and defensive pairing will remain intact.
If the team does announce any changes, we will update the article with the accurate information.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier – Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson
Zachary Bolduc – Kirby Dach — Joe Veleno
Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier
Kaiden Guhle – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Noah Dobson
Jakub Dobes
Jacob Fowler
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lineup
Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan
Jordan Greenway – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Logan Stanley – Connor Timmins
Alex Lyon
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Sabres
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Buffalo Sabres, Sunday, May 10, 2026, will be aired on CBC, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
Additional NHL Playoff Analysis
- Canadiens vs. Sabres Series Preview
- Canadiens vs. Sabres Complete Series Schedule
- Most Valuable Habs From The First Round
