Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (7-6) will face the Buffalo Sabres (7-5) in Game 7 of their second-round series on Monday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
It’s rather fitting that the series has required all seven games, as the Habs and the Sabres have been evenly-matched once we take a look at some of the statistics.
The Sabres have an advantage in shots and expected goals, to the tune of 51.5% and 51.9%, however, the Canadiens have outscored them 14-11 at 5v5, and 10-6 when it comes to high-danger scoring chances.
It’s the epitome of an exciting series, and it all comes down to the final game.
While rookie netminder Jakub Dobes allowed six goals in Game 6, head coach Martin St-Louis is not particularly worried about his performance on Monday night. He’s confident Dobes, a player who has shown a fantastic ability to bounce back from difficult games, will rise to the occasion.
#Habs Martin St-Louis: "I'm not worried about Dobs"
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) May 18, 2026
It won’t only be up to Dobes, even though he will play a crucial role in Game 7. Simply put, the Canadiens need a complete team effort, the type of outing that landed them impressive wins in Game 2 and Game 3.
Fortunately for the Canadiens, they tend to be at their best when they’re facing a heightened level of adversity, and they’re also a tightly-knit group, despite their relative youth.
#Habs Kaiden Guhle says the players are a group of brothers and many of them have been through the dark days of the rebuild together. Guhle says if you told them they'd be playing Game 7 of the 2nd Round in Buffalo back in September, they would have been all about it.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) May 18, 2026
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
Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Arber Xhekaj – Kaiden Guhle
Jakub Dobes
Jacob Fowler
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lineup
Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Konsta Helenius – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan
Jordan Greenway – Ryan McLeod – Beck Malenstyn
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Luke Schenn – Connor Timmins
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Alex Lyon
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Sabres Game 7
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Buffalo Sabres, Monday, May 18, 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
- Depth Players Leading The Charge For Canadiens
- Habs Could Use Brendan Gallagher Versus the Sabres
