The eight goals were the second-highest total in a playoff game for the Sabres. They fell one short of matching their record of nine, set in Game 6 against Boston in 1992.
Rasmus Dahlin set a franchise record for a defenseman with five points from one goal and four assists. Tage Thompson added four points with one goal and three assists. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 17 shots he faced after replacing starter Alex Lyon early in the first period.
Buffalo holds a 1-1 record in Game 7s at home and is 1-6 overall. Montreal is 8-6 in Game 7s on the road and 16-9 all-time.
This elimination game had everything you expect from a wild Stanley Cup playoff night.
Rasmus Dahlin opened the scoring just 32 seconds in with his third goal of the postseason, putting Buffalo up 1-0.
It was the fastest goal by a defenseman to start a playoff game since Devon Toews’ 21-second strike in 2021. For Buffalo, it ranks as the second-fastest playoff opener ever, behind only Derek Roy’s nine-second goal in a 2007 elimination game.
Arber Xhekaj tied it 1-1 exactly one minute later, scoring on Montreal’s first shot of the night for his first goal of the playoffs.
The momentum swung hard toward Montreal after that. The Canadiens scored two more goals on just two shots to take control.
Ivan Demidov put them ahead 2-1 on Montreal’s first power play of the game. Jake Evans then made it 3-1 with a short-handed goal, his second of the playoffs. Evans had also set up Xhekaj’s earlier goal.
Lane Hutson reached 11 assists in the postseason, becoming only the sixth defenseman in Canadiens history to hit that mark in a single playoff run. The last to do it were Chris Chelios and Petr Svoboda in 1989.
Evans’ goal also gave Montreal a rare record. Since the NHL started tracking shots in real time in 2010, they became the first team to score on each of their first three shots in a playoff game.
Buffalo made a goalie change less than 11 minutes into the first period. After giving up three goals on three shots, Alex Lyon was pulled in favor of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Luukkonen had been taken out earlier in Game 5.
The switch paid off through the second period. Luukkonen stopped all 11 shots he faced before the third, giving the Sabres a chance to get back in the game. They took full advantage.
Jason Zucker scored with 32 seconds left in the first period to make it 3-2. It was his second goal of the playoffs and the first of four power-play goals for Buffalo that night...
And Jason Zucker makes it a one-goal game! 👀 #StanleyCup
Zach Benson then tied it 3-3 exactly one minute into the second period with his fifth goal of the postseason. He also had an assist on Zucker’s goal in the first.
A few minutes later, Buffalo pushed the lead to 5-3.
Konsta Helenius scored his second goal of the playoffs on a 2-on-1 break. Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin picked up the assists, bringing their totals to two and
eight respectively.
The Sabres headed into the third period with a 28-15 advantage in shots on goal.
Montreal turned to Jacob Fowler for his first career playoff appearance after pulling starter Jakub Dobes. The change came after Buffalo’s sixth goal doubled the lead to 6-3.
Quinn scored his second of the night with 10 minutes left in the third, assisted again by Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. That made it 7-3 and gave Buffalo its third power-play goal of the game, the most they’ve had in any playoff game this year. They added a fourth before the final buzzer.
Montreal turned to Jacob Fowler for his first career playoff appearance after pulling starter Jakub Dobes. Dobes was taken out after Buffalo scored its sixth goal to make it a two-goal game.
With 10 minutes left in the third, Jack Quinn scored his second of the night off assists from Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. It was Buffalo’s third power play goal of the game, their most in a single playoff contest this year. The Sabres added a fourth power play tally before the final buzzer.
Montreal pulled the goalie with seven minutes left but couldn’t generate any offense to spark a comeback. Tage Thompson sealed it at 7-3 with an empty-net goal for his fifth of the playoffs.
Rookie Zach Metsa then scored his first career playoff goal to make it 8-3 after a few scrums between the teams.
After going just 1-for-46 on the power play against Boston, the Sabres are now 10-for-25 with the man advantage against Montreal.
Buffalo finished with a 36-22 edge in shots. The series shifts back to Buffalo for a winner-takes-all Game 7.
Sabres Erupt for 8 Goals to Force Game 7 Against Canadiens
Reviewed by skatewood Puck
on
May 17, 2026
Rating: 5
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