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NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens
Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night, attempting to establish a 2-1 series lead at the Bell Centre.

It was yet another impressive game from the Habs, resulting in a 6-2 victory, the type of statement win that can change the entire tone of a playoff series.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Newfoundland Power

As we discussed in the game preview, Montreal’s depth players have been doing a wonderful job making up for the lack of offence from the first line, and one of the most important Canadiens in that respect is none other than Alex Newhook.

The speedy winger scored his fourth goal of the playoffs to tie the game late in the first period. It was also a crucial goal since the Habs were the better team in the first period, but were at risk of entering the first intermission with a one-goal deficit.

Star Power

Another topic we addressed in the preview was the possibility that Juraj Slafkovsky or Cole Caufield would find their offensive rhythm, making the Habs a team that no longer solely relies on either the first line or the depth players, but rather, both.

That’s a dangerous team, especially in the playoffs.

On that note, Caufield scored his second springtime goal following a jaw-dropping deke by phenom Lane Hutson, giving the Canadiens a well-deserved 2-1 lead.

You could argue the Canadiens were robbed of a third goal when Phillip Danault was accused of running interference on Lyon without any semblance of proof.

Back To Depth

Rather than resting on their laurels, the Habs continued to press the play, resulting in a 3-1 lead when Joe Veleno outworked his opponent to set up Zachary Bolduc for his second goal of the playoffs.

Once again, depth players provided important contributions, a recurring theme for the Canadiens.

Dobes Revenge

At this point in the game, the Sabres decided to up the greasiness, culminating with what seemed like a clear-cut intent to injure netminder Jakub Dobes.

Beck Malenstyn skated into Dobes without ever attempting to pump the brakes, however, the Canadiens goaltender was just shaken up, and managed to stay in the game.

The dirtbag play led to just a two-minute powerplay for the Canadiens, but it was long enough for Slafkovsky to tip a Hutson point shot, handing the home team a 4-1 lead.

You’ll note Dobes made sure to thank the Sabres for the opportunity to score on the man advantage.

Icing On The Cake

To put a fine point on the complete team effort, Dach restored Montreal’s three-goal lead midway through the third period.

At a glance, it may not have seemed like a very important goal, but it came on the heels of a push by Buffalo that resulted in a handful of high-danger chances. Dobes was up to the task, but there’s no denying the pressure was mounting from the road team.

Perfection

The Sabres pulled their goal with almost five minutes left in the third period, a logical choice given the 5-2 scoreline.

However, Newhook managed to out-skate Rasmus Dahlin shortly afterwards, securing yet another two-goal game for the Newfoundlander. As an added bonus, his mother was in the crowd to watch her son steal the show at the Bell Centre.

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Tuesday, facing the Sabres at the Bell Centre for Game 4. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

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By Marc Dumont
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont

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