Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (4-3) will face the Buffalo Sabres (4-2) in Game 1 of their series on Wednesday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
The Canadiens needed seven games to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first-round series, with netminder Jakub Dobes serving as their most valuable player. The Sabres only required six games to eliminate the Boston Bruins, with goaltender Alex Lyon also providing a stalwart effort while guarding the net.
With that in mind, the series is not expected to be a particularly high-scoring affair, but there’s a healthy chance some of the games in the second-round series will feature more scoring chances than previous matchups.
Statistically speaking, the gap between the Canadiens and the Sabres isn’t as pronounced as the one between the Habs and the Lightning, which means that head coach Martin St-Louis’ team may be facing a difficult challenge in the second round, but not an impossible one.
As per usual, the team that gets off to the best start in Game 1 will capture a significant advantage going forward, and given that they’re both young, talented clubs, the first period of the first game may go a long way in dictating the overall winner of the series.
Potential Lineup Changes
St-Louis is holding his cards close to his chest, but based off reports at practice, it seems that Arber Xhekaj will return to the lineup. Xhekaj is a physical player, but he also produced some of the best underlying numbers in the first round, a reminder that players tend to excel when they’re given some semblance of consistency from the coaching staff.
Joe Veleno is also expected to be included in the Game 1 lineup, with veteran Brendan Gallagher potentially making way for the Montreal native. Veleno, 26, is yet to participate in a playoff game for the Canadiens, but he was among the most physical depth players in the lineup throughout the regular season.
Of course, regardless of whether the depth players perform, the Canadiens will need more consistency from their top line, which struggled at 5v5 in the first round. Nick Suzuki did manage to score a 5v5 goal, but he was the lone member of the top trio to do so versus the Lightning.
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, Wednesday, May 6, 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
