Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists. Juraj Slafkovsky had three assists. Montreal scored four consecutive goals to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 victory at KeyBank Center and took a 3-2 series lead over Buffalo in the second round. The game turned not on a single shift but on a structural adjustment Martin St. Louis made after his team fell behind midway through the second period.
The Canadiens changed how they pressured the puck in the neutral zone and shortened their breakout strategy. Buffalo's forecheck, which had generated early chaos and three goals on 35 shots against Jakub Dobeš, couldn't adapt. Montreal scored three times in a 10-minute span of the second period - Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, and Suzuki - and put the game away with a third-period power-play goal from Ivan Demidov.
"After we went down 3-2, we simplified everything," Suzuki said, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet. "We stopped trying to force the long stretch pass and just moved the puck quicker through the middle. That let our speed take over."
Engels noted that St. Louis shifted Montreal's neutral-zone structure from an aggressive 2-1-2 forecheck to a more layered 1-1-3 trap designed to funnel Buffalo's breakouts into the middle, where Suzuki's line could force turnovers. Instead of chasing hits on Buffalo's defensemen, Montreal's F1 forced plays into traffic and let their speed through the neutral zone create odd-man rushes.
The Second Period Reset That Changed Everything
Montreal's tactical shift started with their breakouts. Arpon Basu of The Athletic highlighted that Montreal's defensemen stopped attempting long stretch passes into Buffalo's stacked neutral zone and instead used short bump-backs - D-to-D, then to a low-center support swinging underneath. That allowed Slafkovsky and Demidov to attack with speed on controlled entries rather than chasing dump-ins.
The results were immediate. Anderson scored at 8:01 of the second period off a controlled entry and a quick cycle. Evans scored the go-ahead goal at 16:15 after a second Montreal possession in the offensive zone that featured two failed Buffalo clears. Suzuki's power-play goal at 17:33 came 78 seconds after Evans put Montreal ahead, and KeyBank Center went quiet.
"We got away from what worked early," Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff said, per Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. "We were aggressive on their D-to-D passes in the first 10 minutes, and once they started going shorter, we didn't close through the middle fast enough. It turned into one guy chasing and four guys behind the puck."
Lysowski noted that Buffalo's F2 and F3 weren't faltering quickly enough once Montreal hit their middle support underneath, turning what had been an effective 2-1-2 forecheck into a chase. Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Hockey Beat framed it as Ruff "staying aggressive without the structure that made it work in the first 10 minutes."
Slafkovsky as Entry Driver, Not Just Finisher
Slafkovsky's three assists came from his work carrying pucks into the offensive zone and winning puck battles below the goal line. Engels described him as the "entry mule" - carrying pucks over the line with control on the right side, drawing Buffalo's defense wide, and freeing Suzuki to trail into soft ice.
On the power play, Montreal used Slafkovsky as a half-wall bumper rather than a pure net-front presence. On Suzuki's power-play goal that made it 5-3, Slafkovsky dragged coverage high, then slipped the puck to Suzuki in the right circle for a quick release that beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen under the pad.
"He's not just out there to finish anymore," Basu wrote. "He's the one creating space for everyone else by controlling entries and winning battles. That's a different level of impact."
Slafkovsky's work on controlled entries allowed Montreal to set up in the offensive zone instead of chasing puck battles off dump-ins. Buffalo's defense, built to funnel play to the outside and protect the net-front, struggled when Montreal attacked with speed and puck control through the middle.
Buffalo's Young Forwards in Difficult Matchups
Buffalo leaned heavily on Konsta Helenius and Josh Doan in offensive roles even after Montreal's momentum shifted. Doan scored at 7:45 of the first period, and Helenius scored at 10:15 of the first period to give Buffalo a 3-2 lead and extend his playoff point streak to six games. Both players showed offensive ability, but John Vogl of The Athletic questioned whether Ruff should have sheltered them more once Montreal took control.
"Ruff kept giving offensive-zone starts to the Helenius line even after they were getting pinned in repeatedly by Montreal's middle-six," Vogl wrote. "Once Buffalo started chasing the game, continuing to lean on young forwards in those spots was a choice - admirable in December, but costly in May."
Vogl pointed to a sequence where Helenius lost a defensive-zone faceoff against Suzuki, leading to immediate controlled possession and a cycle that ended with one of Montreal's second-period goals. Buffalo's young core has talent, but the decision-making and defensive details that separate regular-season skill from playoff execution were inconsistent.
Jason Zucker scored at 2:00 of the first period to give Buffalo an early 1-0 lead, but his line was caught on the ice for extended shifts against Montreal pressure in the second period. Jack Quinn had an assist on Buffalo's first goal and generated chances early, but Vogl noted his line was "on the wrong side of the puck" too often once Montreal's top line started controlling territory.
Dobeš Settled After Rocky Start
Dobeš allowed three goals on Buffalo's first few shots, including Zucker's early strike and goals from Josh Doan and Helenius that gave Buffalo a 3-2 lead. St. Louis didn't consider pulling him.
"This is his moment," Basu wrote. "The tactical upside of leaving him in was stability - no disruption to Montreal's rhythm as they were already starting to carry play territorially."
Engels highlighted that once Montreal fell behind 3-2, Dobeš adjusted his positioning. He played deeper in his crease, tightened his post integration, and let shots hit him instead of challenging aggressively. After Helenius' goal made it 3-2, Dobeš stopped 29 of 32 shots the rest of the way, with Alex Lyon relieving Luukkonen and making two saves on three shots.
The early struggle didn't define Dobeš' night. The adjustment did. Montreal needed calm, technically sound goaltending after the early chaos, and Dobeš provided it.
Evans' Goal as Designed Play, Not Chaos
Evans scored the go-ahead goal at 16:15 of the second period on a simple, pre-set low-cycle pattern that isolated Buffalo's weaker defenders below the goal line. Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette noted that St. Louis trusted Evans' line in offensive situations more than earlier in the series, giving them offensive-zone faceoffs after TV timeouts when they were fresh.
"This wasn't a broken play or a lucky bounce," Cowan wrote. "It was a designed mismatch, and Montreal executed it."
Demidov's work on the play - driving the puck through traffic and creating a second chance - illustrated the offensive patience Montreal's young forwards are showing. Rather than forcing a shot from the outside, Demidov created chaos in front, and Evans finished the rebound.
Evans finished with a goal despite a 38.0% on-ice xGF% for the season. Phillip Danault had two assists despite a 41.0% on-ice xGF%. These aren't possession-driving players, but they're finishing chances created by Montreal's top line and Lane Hutson's ability to move pucks quickly through the neutral zone.
What Buffalo Needs to Adjust
Buffalo outshot Montreal 35-26 and generated quality chances early. Rasmus Dahlin posted a 57.0% on-ice xGF% for the season, and Owen Power's mobility gives Buffalo the pieces to match up against Montreal's speed. The problem isn't talent. It's deployment.
Kristen Shilton of ESPN noted that Ruff did not use a timeout after Montreal tied the game 3-3 or after the Canadiens took a 4-3 lead. "From a tactical standpoint, that allowed Montreal to keep rolling their top line against tired Sabres defenders," Shilton wrote.
Buffalo's defensive structure is designed to limit volume and protect the middle. That works against teams that need multiple chances to score. It doesn't work against a team that controls entries, sets up in the offensive zone, and has multiple finishers who can score on clean looks from the high slot.
Lysowski and Hoppe both noted that Buffalo's defense tended to "over-front" shots - attacking shooters high and leaving seams down low. That allowed Montreal's forwards to slip behind coverage and find shooting lanes in the slot. On Evans' goal, Henri Jokiharju followed the puck carrier too high, leaving the slot open for a one-timer.
"Buffalo's penalty kill tried to take away the one-timer from Caufield, and when they cheated toward him, someone else scored," Engels wrote. "That's the problem with over-committing to one threat."
Series Math and What's Next
Montreal leads the series 3-2 with Game 6 in Montreal. Buffalo has won games in this series by staying disciplined and trusting their depth. That approach worked in their first-round victory over Boston, where they won in six games. It's not working against a Montreal team that has found multiple ways to score and has now won three consecutive games.
The Canadiens beat Tampa Bay in seven games in the first round, and this series is following a similar pattern: Montreal absorbing early punches, adjusting mid-game, and wearing down opponents with depth scoring and tactical flexibility.
Buffalo's regular season was strong - 50-23-9, 109 points. Montreal finished 48-24-10 with 106 points. The Sabres scored 288 goals and allowed 240, with a 19.5% power play and 81.9% penalty kill. Those numbers reflect a team built to control play and generate volume.
Montreal finished with 283 goals for and 251 against. Their 23.3% power play was one of the league's best, and their ability to score in bunches has defined this postseason. The difference between the regular season and the playoffs is that Montreal's young core - Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Demidov, Hutson - has elevated in high-leverage moments, while Buffalo's young forwards are still learning how to maintain their game when momentum shifts.
If Buffalo wants to extend this series, Ruff needs to make structural adjustments. Shadow Suzuki's line more aggressively. Pressure Montreal's breakouts earlier to disrupt the controlled entries that lead to offensive-zone possessions. Trust veteran options in late-game situations instead of continuing to lean on young forwards who are still learning playoff hockey.
Or Buffalo can keep playing their system and hope Montreal's finishing rate regresses. The problem with that option is that Montreal has now scored six goals in back-to-back games and shows no sign of slowing down.