Sabres Revive Power Play in Game 1 Win Over Canadiens

In the opening contest of the Eastern Conference second-round series, Buffalo defeated Montreal 4–2. The Sabres converted two of three power-play chances, with Ryan McLeod scoring on the second opportunity and setting up defenseman Bowen Byram for the third. Josh Doan opened the scoring at 4:31 of the first period, and Jordan Greenway added a second-period goal. Montreal’s only response came from Nick Suzuki’s power-play tally and Kirby Dach’s late second-period marker, but the Sabres held the lead through a scoreless third period.

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Buffalo entered the series after a historically poor power-play performance. In the first-round matchup with Boston, the Sabres recorded a 1-for-24 conversion rate (4.2 %); the figure ranks 865th of 897 teams with at least 20 opportunities in a playoff series since 1978. The slump extended to the regular season, where the team went 0-for-22 in its final seven games and 0-for-20 over its last 13. By contrast, Montreal finished the regular season 18th in the league with a 78.2 % penalty-kill rate.

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• Power-play: 2-for-3 (66.7 %); previous 13 games: 1-for-46.

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• Byram’s fourth postseason goal tied the franchise record for defensemen (Mike Ramsey 1988, Jason Woolley 1999, Alexei Zhitnik 1999).

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• Alex Lyon made 26 saves (?.950 save % since replacing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen).

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• Montreal outshot Buffalo 11-1 in the third period but failed to score.

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• Rasmus Dahlin left the game with a possible knee issue after blocking a shot.

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Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff highlighted the unit’s execution: “We took advantage of some good breaks, made a couple of good plays.” He added that the extra rest between games contributed to sharper puck decisions. Montreal coach Martin St. Louis noted his team’s improved entries but attributed Buffalo’s success to “fortunate bounces” and praised his players for battling despite a disappointing start.

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Montreal’s assessment underscored lingering doubts about Buffalo’s power-play sustainability, suggesting the Sabres’ resurgence may be situational rather than systemic. The Canadiens also pointed to their own defensive lapses, such as Lane Hutson’s turnover that led to Doan’s opening goal, as a factor in the loss.

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• “Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. But it’s a process of building it and getting your look. So I think, we got them tonight.” — Ryan McLeod, Forward, Buffalo Sabres

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• “I just kind of get a little lucky sometimes, but it was nice to get that one.” — Ryan McLeod

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• “He really relishes the opportunity to be playing for something big,” — Lindy Ruff on Bowen Byram

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• “I felt like we killed pretty well on entries and stuff, and didn’t feel like they beat us with some of the looks that they like, so that’s a positive,” — Martin St. Louis, Coach, Montreal Canadiens

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• “It wasn't the start we wanted in the game, and the series.” — Martin St. Louis

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Buffalo hosts Game 2 on Friday night before the series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Sunday. The Sabres will look to sustain their power-play momentum, while the Canadiens aim to tighten their penalty kill and generate more even-strength offense.

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