The Buffalo Sabres look to take a two games to zero lead against the Montreal Canadiens in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Friday. Buffalo grabbed Game One with a solid 4-2 victory on Wednesday at KeyBank Center.
As with most playoff series, the Game One victor has only subtle adjustments to make. The defeated team has more obvious tweaks to attain a better outcome.
Quick start in series opener
The Sabres got off to a quick start, building a 2-0 first period lead just 15 minutes into the contest. Buffalo’s speed and play making ability were on display from the opening faceoff. Montreal cut the Sabres lead to 2-1 late in the opening frame, but the Sabres looked like the better team on this night.
The Canadiens seemed a step behind for most of the night and Buffalo’s depth continues to be a significant factor in the team’s success.
Sabres display their depth
On a night when top forward Tage Thompson was hardly noticeable, it was Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jordan Greenway who found the back of the net upfront.
On the blueline, defenseman Bowen Byram tallied his fourth goal of the postseason, tying a franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in a playoff year. Byram has equaled the record just seven games into the 2026 playoffs.
Byram joins Mike Ramsay, Jason Woolley and Alexei Zhitnik in sharing the goal mark.
The fast start to the second round matchup with Montreal has the excitement of Western New York hockey fans at a fever pitch.
This is not a team on a hot streak, this is a good hockey team that has sustained outstanding play for months now going all the way back to December.
Expect a tougher fight in Game Two
The Canadiens will likely play much better going forward than they did in game one, looking to avoid falling into a two game deficit when the series resumes on Friday. For Buffalo’s part, Wednesday was a convincing victory, building on the complete team game that allowed the Sabres to close out their first to round series with Boston in six games.
The Sabres organization and its fan base have waited fifteen years to see playoff hockey in the month of May in Buffalo.
It’s truly unbelievable”, said winger Zach Benson. “This is one of the best hockey cities in the world obviously. It’s so electric right now. It’s so fun to play in front of our fans every night and play the way we are. “
The players, as well as the community are making the most of the opportunity and are enjoying this ride that has been a long time coming.
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