Canadiens hoping home ice becomes an advantage - BERITAJA

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens are hoping to make Mother’s Day other typical erstwhile they effort to drawback a 2-1 lead successful their second-round, best-of-seven playoff bid against the visiting Buffalo Sabres tonight.

The Canadiens earned a divided astatine KeyBank Center, losing Wednesday’s opener 4-2 and rebounding pinch a 5-1 triumph connected Friday successful Game 2. The Canadiens are 4-0 aft a nonaccomplishment this post-season.

Despite the electrical vibe and thunderous Montreal crowds astatine Bell Centre, location crystal hasn’t been an advantage for the Canadiens truthful acold this post-season. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning successful 7 games successful the opening round, winning only 1 of 3 games successful Montreal and that Game 3 triumph required overtime.

In fact, the Canadiens haven’t had back-to-back wins successful the post-season, but present they are, conscionable 3 wins distant from an Eastern Conference last day pinch the Carolina Hurricanes — and now pinch home-ice advantage against the Sabres.

Rookie netminder Jakub Dobes, who has started each 8 playoff games for the Canadiens, takes a .917 prevention percent into tonight’s game. His 28-save capacity successful Game 2 successful Buffalo allowed him to go the 3rd rookie Montreal netminder pinch astatine slightest 5 playoff wins, joining Patrick Roy and Carey Price.

The Sabres, who said their full squad was uncharacteristically sloppy successful Game 2, expect to shingle disconnected the nonaccomplishment and beryllium fresh for tonight’s adjacent challenge.

Coach Lindy Ruff said the Sabres expect to alteration a fewer things for the games successful Montreal, including their power-play units and tenacity.

This study by BERITAJA was first published May 10, 2026.