NHL Playoffs: Sabres Battle Canadiens in Second Round
Buffalo Sabres End Droughts and Playoff Breakthrough
The Buffalo Sabres sealed a pair of long-awaited droughts during the 2025-26 NHL season, capturing their first division title since 2010 and earning their first postseason berth since 2011. They also snapped another skid in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs by sweeping the Boston Bruins in the opening round, earning Buffalo’s first playoff series victory since 2007. The Sabres now head to a second-round showdown with the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Wednesday, a win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 19 years.
A challenging start gave way to a resurgence, as Buffalo stumbled out of the gate by dropping 12 of their first 17 games (5-8-4) and hovering at 11-14-4 before turning the season around. The club launched a 10-game winning streak beginning December 9 and went on to finish atop the Atlantic Division with 109 points, their highest total since 113 in 2006-07.
In the opening round against Boston, Buffalo split the first two games before switching goaltenders from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to Alex Lyon. The move paid dividends as the Sabres won three of the next four, eliminating the Bruins with Lyon allowing one goal in each of the wins and just two in an overtime loss in Game 5. Alex Tuch led Buffalo with four goals in the series, and he tied Tage Thompson for the team lead with seven points. Peyton Krebs scored twice and added four assists, while Bowen Byram tallied three goals and recorded two helpers.
The Canadiens advanced past the Tampa Bay Lightning in a tight, seven-game first round, in which every contest was decided by one goal, including four that went to overtime. Montreal endured a 1-0 OT defeat in Game 6 at home but won Game 7 on the road, 2-1, despite nine shots on goal, as Alex Newhook struck at 8:53 of the third period to break a deadlock. Captain Nick Suzuki and defenseman Lane Hutson shared the Canadiens’ lead with six points in the series, and Juraj Slafkovsky had three goals, all coming on the power play in the opener, including the overtime winner.
Buffalo and Montreal split their four regular-season meetings, with each club earning one home win and one road win. Thompson totaled seven points, including a ninth-career hat trick in Buffalo’s 5-3 home win on January 15. Cole Caufield had four goals and two assists for Montreal, while Suzuki led the Canadiens with eight points. This marks the eighth postseason meeting between the Sabres and Canadiens; the Canadiens had won four of the previous seven, though Buffalo swept Montreal in the 1998 Eastern Conference semifinals.
