The Montreal Canadiens (5-4) will face the Buffalo Sabers (5-3) in Game 3 of their second-round series on Sunday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
The Habs lost the first game of the series, but the scoreline was in favor of the Sabres, who were defeated by Martin Saint-Louis' team by a wide margin.
The numbers show that Montreal will be in a great position to bounce back in Game 2, and although the underlying statistics don't always reveal the future, in this case, it was an accurate prediction.
Fueled by an impressive two-goal effort from Newfoundlander Alex Newhook, the Canadiens began Game 2 with an intensity that had been absent for most of the opening round all year. It took them about a minute to take the lead and never looked back, emerging from Buffalo with a 5–1 win and a tied series.
Simply put, momentum is now firmly in the Canadiens' corner, especially now that the series has reached Montreal, where the Bell Center faithful serve as the ultimate motivator.
And given the first line's play, they'll need it.
Nick Suzuki continues to produce as per tradition, but the offense from the team's other top forwards, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski, has slowed. Caufield has not recorded a point since April 26 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Slafkowski has offered only one assist since his playoff-opening hat trick on April 19.
This would normally be a recipe for disaster, but Montreal's depth has done a borderline miraculous job of providing aggression when the team needs it most.
Whether it's Newhook, Kirby Dach, Alexandre Texier, Zachary Bolduc, or Josh Anderson, there always seems to be a player ready to carry the torch while the first line attempts to find its rhythm.
Of course, this is not a sustainable situation, but if Caufield and Slafkowski return to their scoring ways, having primary, secondary and tertiary scoring available will be a game changer for the Canadiens.
Possible Lineup Changes
St. Louis doesn't like to change its lineup after wins, so we can assume the lines and defensive pairings will remain intact.
If the team announces any changes, we will update the article with accurate information.
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, Sunday, May 10, 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
