The Montreal Canadiens lost 8-3 to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 on Saturday night allowing Buffalo to even the first-round series and force a winner-take-all Game 7. The Canadiens squandered a 3-1 lead and failed to close out a potential series-clinching game at home for the first time in franchise history.
Buffalo struck first just 32 seconds into the game with a goal from Tage Thompson. But Montreal responded with a flurry of its own, scoring three goals on the Sabres’ first four shots. Arber Xhekaj, Ivan Demidov, and Jake Evans helped the Canadiens build a 3-1 lead early in the first.
The momentum quickly shifted when the Sabres adjusted and took control for the rest of the game. Buffalo scored seven unanswered goals to completely flip the narrative. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was flawless in relief, stopping all 17 shots he faced after Alex Lyon was pulled early.
Rasmus Dahlin led the Sabres’ charge with a five-point performance, tying a franchise playoff record. Jack Quinn added two goals and three points while Thompson contributed four points. Buffalo outshot Montreal 36-22 and went 4-for-6 on the power play, including two of the final three goals in the third period.
Montreal’s goaltending was also a problem. After Lyon was pulled, Jakub Dobes was yanked following the Sabres’ sixth goal. Jacob Fowler made his playoff debut in the final minutes but could not stop the bleeding.
Nick Suzuki admitted the Canadiens played “probably the worst game we’ve played” after the loss. Head coach Martin St. Louis echoed the sentiment, pointing to a lack of composure as the Canadiens failed to respond after the Sabres adjusted.
The Canadiens had gone 5-0 following losses this postseason, but that streak is now over. The team will head to Buffalo for Game 7 on Monday night, where they will look to close out the series for the first time in the 2026 playoffs.
Buffalo will enter the final game with momentum on their side after the dominant performance. The Sabres will look to close out their first playoff series since 2021 and continue their season-long resurgence.
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