Home HOCKEY NHL NHL Recap: Lyon Holds Strong as Sabres Take 1-0 Series Lead Over Montreal

NHL Recap: Lyon Holds Strong as Sabres Take 1-0 Series Lead Over Montreal

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Sabres Vs Montreal
Sabres take game 1 with 4-2 win over Canadiens

Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots and Buffalo converted on the power play as the Sabres beat the Canadiens 4-2 in Game 1, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.


Despite being outshot 28-16 in Game 1, the Sabres held off a late Montreal push to secure a 4-2 victory and move one step closer in the second round...


Buffalo opened their second-round playoff series with a 4-2 victory over Montreal on Wednesday night.


Alex Lyon continued his strong postseason form, keeping Montreal to two goals or fewer for the fifth straight start since replacing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Game 2 of the first round against Boston. The Sabres goalie stopped 26 shots in Game 1, his second-highest save total of the playoffs, and ensured the Canadiens couldn’t keep the game within one goal for the first time this postseason.


The series resumes on Friday, May 8, with Game 2 at Buffalo.


Game Overview

The game wasted no time getting physical, with the first penalty called inside 30 seconds and the opening goal coming less than five minutes later.


Buffalo couldn’t convert on the initial power play, but Josh Doan made it count shortly after, netting his second goal of the playoffs to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Zach Benson picked up the assist, his second of the night.


The 20-year-old’s performance put him in rare company, becoming only the fourth player in franchise history to post back-to-back multi-point games at age 20 or younger.





Buffalo’s power play finally broke through on their second opportunity, nudging their postseason conversion rate up from a sluggish 2-for-26.


Doan and Benson both picked up assists on Ryan McLeod’s first goal of the playoffs, extending the Sabres’ lead to 2-0. 


The tally was McLeod’s eighth career playoff goal and his first since scoring for Edmonton in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.




Montreal answered six minutes later on their first power play chance, capitalizing after Rasmus Dahlin was sent to the box for interference.


Nick Suzuki pulled one back for the Canadiens with his second goal of the postseason, making it 2-1. Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov earned assists on the play.


Suzuki also extended a notable run, becoming only the second Montreal player in the last 25 years to record a point in each of the team’s first five road playoff games. The only other to do it was Scott Gomez during his six-game streak in 2010.





The Sabres came out of the intermission with the same early burst they had in the first, netting two unanswered goals to start the second period.


Greenway opened the scoring in the frame, finding the net for his first playoff goal since his time with Minnesota in 2022 and extending Buffalo’s lead to 3-1. Samuelsson recorded the assist, marking his first point of the postseason.




Buffalo pulled further ahead before the period was half over, converting on their third power play of the night to improve to 3-for-27 in the playoffs.


Bowen Byram matched a franchise record for defensemen, scoring his fourth goal of the postseason off an assist from McLeod to make it 4-1. 


The goal also marked the fourth time in six playoff games that the Sabres have put up at least four goals.




Right after Byram’s goal, Montreal got another chance to cut the deficit on their second power play, but couldn’t convert.


Kirby Dach made it 4-2 anyway, scoring his third of the playoffs at even strength with less than four minutes remaining in the second. Zachary Bolduc picked up the assist, his fourth of the postseason.




Montreal finished with a 28-16 advantage in shots and a 31-27 edge in hits, but history isn’t on their side when dropping the opener on the road. The Canadiens are now 9-23 all-time in playoff series after losing Game 1 away from home.


For Buffalo, the early lead puts them in a familiar position. The Sabres are 9-3 in playoff series when they win Game 1 at home to start.




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