Buffalo Sabres - Montreal Canadiens Game Preview 5/6/26 - 7:00 pm at KeyBank Center, in Buffalo, NY Buffalo – 50-23-9 | - 109 points – 1st place in the Atlantic Division Montreal – 48-24-10 | - 106 points – 3rd place in the Atlantic Division Special Teams Buffalo Power Play(Reg) – 19.5% (21st) Power Play(Playoffs) - 1 for 24 - 4.2% (16th) Penalty Kill(Reg) – 81.9% (4th) Penalty Kill(Playoffs) - 14 for 16 - 87.5% (6th) Montreal Power Play(Reg) – 23.1% (10th) Power Play(Playoffs) - 7 for 26 - 19.2% (5th) Penalty Kill(Reg) - 78.2% (18th) Penalty Kill(Playoffs) - 82.8% - 22 for 29 (11th) Top Scorers Buffalo Tage Thompson: 6 GP, 2 G, 5 A, 7 PTS Alex Tuch: 6 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 PTS Peyton Krebs: 6 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 PTS Montreal Lane Hutson: 7 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 PTS Nick Suzuki: 7 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 PTS Alexandre Texier: 7 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 PTS Starting Goalies Buffalo – Alex Lyon (3-1, 1.14 GAA, .955 Sv %) Montreal – Jakub Dobes (4-3, 2.03 GAA, .923 Sv %) Other Sabres Stories Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/six-former-sabres-who-signed-elsewhere] Who are the x-factors in the Sabres - Canadiens series? Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings (projected) Forwards Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch Zach Benson - Josh Norris - Josh Doan Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn Jordan Greenway - Tyson Kozak - Beck Malenstyn Ex., Tanner Pearson,, Josh Dunne, Sam Carrick Defense Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin Owen Power - Bowen Byram Logan Stanley - Conor Timmins Ex. Luke Schenn, Michael Kesselring, Zach Metsa Goaltenders Alex Lyon Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Colten Ellis Injuries Justin Danforth (lower body, Oct. 18; injured reserve) Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve - out for the season) Noah Ostlund (lower body, Apr 28; week-to-week) Notes The Sabres have earned three playoff series victories over the Canadiens in franchise history. Buffalo last faced Montreal in the playoffs in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals, a series which the Sabres won four games to none.The Sabres’ four goals allowed over the last three games are the fewest the team has allowed in any three-game span in the playoffs since May 9 to 14, 1999 (3). A win tonight would give Buffalo five consecutive playoff wins over Montreal, second only to the team’s six-game playoff winning streak over the Canadiens from May 6, 1975 to April 5, 1990. It would make the Sabres the only team in NHL history to record multiple playoff winning streaks of five or more games against the Canadiens. Alex Lyon allowed just five total goals in five appearances in the first round against Boston, the fewest goals allowed in any five-game span in the playoffs by a Sabres goaltender all-time. Lyon has posted a .955 save percentage in his first five appearances in the playoffs, tied with Dominik Hasek (April 24 to May 8, 1998; .955) for the best mark by a Sabres goaltender in any five-game span in the playoffs. Bowen Byram has recorded five points (3+2) in six playoff games thus far. His three goals are the most by a Sabres defenseman in a five-game span in the playoffs since Alexei Zhitnik from April 27 to May 14, 1999 (three goals). In his last three games, Zach Benson has posted three points (2+1). A goal in tonight’s game would make Benson the first Sabres skater age 20 or younger to record three or more goals in the first seven games of their playoff career since Alan Haworth from April 8 to 22, 1981 (4+4). Peyton Krebs has registered six points (2+4) in six playoff games thus far and he and Tage Thompson (2+5) are the first Sabres forwards to tally six or more points in the first six playoff games of their career since Tim Connolly (3+5) and Jason Pominville (4+2) from April 22 to May 2, 2006. Alex Tuch has posted seven points (4+3) in the playoffs. He leads all Sabres skaters in goals and is tied with Thompson for the team lead in points. Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo [https://twitter.com/MikeInBuffalo] THN.com/Free [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/90ac245e-b991-477a-bb33-d977494a0f24.jpeg] THN.com/Free
