The Montreal Canadiens (4-3) will face the Buffalo Sabers (4-2) in Game 1 of their series on Wednesday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
The Canadiens needed seven games to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first-round series, with netminder Jacob Dobbs serving as their most valuable player. The Sabers needed only six games to eliminate the Boston Bruins, with goaltender Alex Lyons providing a strong effort while also guarding the net.
With this in mind, the series is not expected to be particularly high scoring, but there is a good chance that some games in the second round series will have more scoring opportunities than previous games.
Statistically speaking, the gap between the Canadiens and Sabers is not as stark as it is between the Habs and the Lightning, which means head coach Martin Saint-Louis' team may face a tough challenge in the second round, but not an impossible one.
As always, the team with the best start in Game 1 will hold a significant advantage going forward, and given that they are both young, talented clubs, the first period of the first game could go a long way in determining the overall winner of the series.
Possible Lineup Changes
Saint-Louis is keeping its cards close to its chest, but based on practice reports, it looks like Arbor Zekaj will be back in the lineup. Czekaj is a physical player, but he also put up some great underlying statistics in the first round, a reminder that players excel when they get some degree of consistency from the coaching staff.
Joe Velano is also expected to be inserted into the Game 1 lineup, with veteran Brendan Gallagher potentially making way for the Montreal native. The 26-year-old Velano has yet to appear in a playoff game for the Canadiens, but he was one of the players with the most physical depth in the lineup throughout the regular season.
Of course, whether the depth players perform or not, the Canadiens will need more consistency from their top line, which struggled at 5v5 in the first period. Nick Suzuki managed to score a 5v5 goal, but he was the only member of the top trio to do so against the Lightning.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Coffield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkowski
Alex Newhook - Jake Evans - Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier - Philippe Danault - Josh Anderson
Zachary Bolduc - Kirby Dach - Joe Veleno
Mike Matheson - Alexandre Carrier
Caden Guhle - Lane Hutson
Arbor Zekaj - Noah Dobson
jacob dobbs
jacob fowler
Buffalo Sabers Projected Lineup
Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn
Zach Benson - Josh Norris - Josh Doan
Jordan Greenway - Tyson Kozak - Beck Malensteen
Rasmus Dahlin - Mattias Samuelsson
Bowen Byram - Owen Power
Logan Stanley - Connor Timmins
Alex Lyon
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
How to watch Hubs Vs. saber
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.
Additional NHL Playoff Analysis
