The report says the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in Game 1 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series Wednesday, buoyed by a multigoal power-play performance — the first time Buffalo has tallied two power-play goals since March 31.
That success stood in stark contrast to the club’s recent struggles with the man advantage. Per the report, the Sabres were 0-for-20 on the power play to finish the regular season and went an astonishing 1-for-24 in their first-round series against Boston. Josh Doan acknowledged the narrative had been a burden and said the team needed to change it, adding that the two power-play scores in this series are an important start.
Buffalo controlled the game early. Doan opened the scoring in the first period and Ryan McLeod extended the lead to 2-0 with the Sabres’ first power-play goal midway through the frame, with Doan credited on the play. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki answered with a power-play goal late in the opening period, but Jordan Greenway restored Buffalo’s multigoal lead early in the second. Bowen Byram registered his fourth goal of the postseason on another Sabres power-play attempt in the middle frame, and Kirby Dach pulled Montreal within one late in the second before a scoreless third preserved the Sabres’ victory, the report says.
Goaltending emerged as a significant factor. The report says Alex Lyon, who began the Boston series as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s backup, took over when Luukkonen struggled and has since gone 4-1 as the starter with a .950 save percentage after replacing Luukkonen late in Game 2 of the first round. The report notes Luukkonen had a .825 save percentage through the first two games of that series.
Coach Lindy Ruff praised timely plays but said the days off between series affected players differently and that he expects more polish in Game 2 on Friday, per the report. Buffalo again leaned on its depth Wednesday, with third-line contributors such as Doan and Zach Benson — each credited with two points — providing the decisive offense while limiting Montreal’s top line at even strength.
