Canadiens, Sabres ready to start Round 2 playoff battle tonight

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) stops Buffalo Sabres defenceman Bowen Byram (4) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

BUFFALO — The Montreal Canadiens are hoping netminder Jakub Dobes stays hot and the offence can generate a few more goals as they prepare to face the Buffalo Sabres tonight in the opening game of the second-round, best-of-seven NHL playoff series.

The Canadiens, who were held to nine shots in Sunday’s Game 7 but still found a way to beat the host Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a series that featured four overtime games and seven one-goal decisions.

Tampa’s head coach Jon Cooper believed the Canadiens had the hockey gods on their side, especially in the deciding game. Montreal bench boss Martin St. Louis said you don’t win many games with nine shots, but the Canadiens did it in Game 7 and “we aren’t leaving” the playoffs.

The Sabres, who snapped a 14-year playoff drought this season and then knocked off the Boston Bruins in six games in Round 1, believe the next series will be an epic battle between young, hungry teams oozing with speed, skill and swagger.

The Sabres and Canadiens met four times this season and split the series, with each team scoring 13 goals. The Sabres finished first in the Atlantic Division with 109 points — three more than the Canadiens — and will have home-ice advantage.

The Sabres and Canadiens have met seven times in the playoffs, with Montreal winning four of the series. The teams haven’t met since 1998, when the Sabres swept the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 2 is Friday in Buffalo, before the series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 (Sunday) and Game 4 (Tuesday).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2026.