The Buffalo Sabres delivered a spectacular comeback performance Saturday night, rallying from behind to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 8-3 and extend their Eastern Conference semifinal series to a decisive seventh game.
Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin matched a franchise playoff record by recording five points on one goal and four assists, while Tage Thompson contributed four points with a goal and three assists in the road victory. The Sabres closed out the contest by scoring seven goals without answer from Montreal.
Jack Quinn found the net twice as part of a three-point night, while Zach Benson and Jason Zucker each contributed a goal and assist. Konsta Helenius and Zach Metsa also scored for Buffalo in the offensive explosion.
“It’s unreal to win this game. Now we have a chance to advance,” Dahlin told Sportsnet following the victory. “The whole group stepped up and played an ‘A’ game. Every individual had their best game. That’s what we need.”
Buffalo’s goaltending situation became a key storyline when starter Alex Lyon was removed after allowing three goals on just four shots. Relief netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stepped in to make 18 saves and steady the team during the comeback.
The goaltender switch marked the first time Buffalo had won a playoff contest after making a performance-based goalie change since Game 3 of the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals.
The series will conclude Monday night in Buffalo, with the victor advancing to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference championship round.
“That’s why I play hockey. That’s what I want to do. I live for this,” Dahlin added about the upcoming decisive game.
Montreal’s Lane Hutson remained confident despite the setback, saying: “There’s no panic or anything. I think we’re all excited. Just more hockey for us. We don’t like it easy. We like the challenge. They brought their best and we’ve got to answer the bell.”
For the Canadiens, Jake Evans recorded a goal and assist, while Arber Xhekaj and Ivan Demidov each found the back of the net. Goaltender Jakub Dobes was charged with six goals on 33 shots before being replaced by Jacob Fowler, who stopped one of two attempts in relief.
The turning point came early in the second period when Benson capitalized on a loose puck just one minute into the frame, tying the game at 3-3 with Buffalo trailing by a goal.
Montreal suffered its first franchise loss in a potential series-clinching home playoff game where it held a multi-goal advantage, as the game quickly slipped away in the middle period.
Quinn broke the deadlock with a power-play goal at 10:54 of the second period for his first career playoff tally, putting Buffalo ahead. Helenius extended the lead to 5-3 by converting on a 2-on-1 break at 12:59.
“We’re up a goal in the second period and in a good spot and lost control of the game there,” Montreal captain Nick Suzuki explained. “We were pushing in the third and they get that power-play goal that put it out of reach.”
The third period saw Quinn add his second goal of the night, Thompson score into an empty net, and Metsa cap the scoring with his first career playoff goal on a late power-play opportunity – Buffalo’s fourth man-advantage goal of the evening.
“I feel like every game’s had a lot of chaos to it, so I think we’re getting used to it,” Quinn told Sportsnet after the game. “We knew we played well in the first (period) in stretches and just had to stick with it.”
Montreal had appeared in control after taking a 3-2 advantage into the first intermission. Buffalo opened the scoring when Dahlin converted on the game’s first shot just 32 seconds in, but the Canadiens responded with three straight goals.
Xhekaj evened the score 68 seconds later on Montreal’s initial shot for his first playoff goal, Demidov gave his team the lead with a power-play marker at 8:12, and Evans extended the advantage to 3-1 with a short-handed goal at 10:14.
However, Zucker ignited Buffalo’s rally with a power-play goal at 13:56 of the opening period, shifting momentum in favor of the visiting team for the remainder of the contest.
