Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (6-4) will face the Buffalo Sabres (5-4) in Game 4 of their second-round series on Tuesday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
The Habs will have an opportunity to take a stranglehold on the series with a win, though it will be difficult to produce a third dominant victory in a row.
While the Sabres won Game 1 after being outshot considerably, the Canadiens were clearly the better team in Game 2 and Game 3, outscoring the Sabres 11-3 in that span.
Sunday’s game, in particular, featured one of the most impressive performances from the Habs, as both the first line and the depth players provided crucial offence. It was the epitome of a complete team effort, and a sign that this very young team is arguably peaking at the perfect time.
Beyond the play of the skaters, netminder Jakub Dobes has been excellent, and has managed to improve the majority of his statistics compared to the regular season. He’s become a beacon of consistency for the Canadiens, and though some out-of-town analysts have suggested he may want to tone down the emotional aspect of his style of play, it would neuter not only the player, but the team as well.
Dobes is heavily invested in every play, and that’s simply the way he likes it.
And you can’t argue with the results.
Another storyline worth monitoring in Game 4 was the uptick in post-whistle violence from Game 3. The Sabres got the ball rolling when Beck Malenstyn ran Dobes, while Arber Xhekaj responded at the final whistle with an ugly punch directly to Sam Carrick’s chin.
Both players were fined for their actions, which, if we being honest, won’t change a single thing moving forward. Expect another uptick in shenanigans on Tuesday.
Potential Lineup Changes
Head coach Martin St-Louis rarely changes his lineup after a win, and he keeps his cards incredibly close to his chest in the playoffs. With that in mind, any lineup changes will have to be confirmed once both teams take to the ice for the pre-game warm-up.
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 – 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, Tuesday, May 12, 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
