James Nichols
The Montreal Canadiens (6-5) will face the Buffalo Sabres (6-4) in Game 6 of their second-round series on Saturday, with the puck drop scheduled for 8 pm ET.
The Habs pounced on the Sabres in Game 5 after Montreal and Buffalo traded four goals in the first period.
In the middle frame, three consecutive goals from Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, and Nick Suzuki separated the Canadiens from the Sabres going into the third period.
Ivan Demidov drove the stake in Game 5, scoring on the power play just over three minutes into the third period which sealed a 6-3 victory for Montreal.
With a 3-2 lead, the series shifts back to Montreal where the Canadiens can punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final.
It’s worth noting for Game 6 that Montreal’s first line finally broke out on Thursday for a combined seven points. Suzuki added two helpers to his goal, Juraj Slafkovsky dished three assists, and Cole Caufield scored his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Ivan Demidov has certainly made himself a factor on the scoresheet in this series, netting a goal and two points in Game 5 which brings him to five points in the series (1g, 4a).
From the blueline, Lane Hutson is providing on the scoresheet as well. After his second multi-assist game of the series on Thursday, Hutson is up to six assists in five games versus Buffalo.
Potential Lineup Changes
As you already know, if Martin St. Louis makes any lineup changes, he will keep them close to the vest. We probably won’t know until warmups, but will update here in the rare case he decides to disclose something.
The Sabres have an interesting predicament on their hands. They gave the net back to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but Lindy Ruff pulled him after allowing five goals for Alex Lyon. So who will be in goal for Buffalo for Game 6?
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 6
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Buffalo Sabres, Saturday, May 16, 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
