The Buffalo Sabres have forced a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Second Round after an 8-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres rallied from behind to avoid elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 6 took place at Bell Centre on Saturday.
Dahlin and Thompson Lead the Charge
Rasmus Dahlin led the Sabres with five points, including a goal and four assists. Tage Thompson contributed a goal and three assists. Jack Quinn scored two power-play goals and had an assist.
Lindy Ruff, the Sabres coach, expressed his pride in the team. He said the team had spoken about everyone needing to play their best game. Ruff added that the regular season and the series against Boston no longer mattered, and that their defining moment was Game 6.
The Sabres are the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division. They defeated the Boston Bruins in six games in the first round.
Sabres Overcome Early Deficit
The Sabres scored seven straight goals after trailing 3-1 in the first period. This comeback tied the best-of-7 series 3-3. The Sabres have now won five of their six road games in these playoffs.
Dahlin noted that the team simplifies their game on the road. He said they are playing more aggressively.
Goaltending Change Sparks Turnaround
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Alex Lyon at 10:14 of the first period. Lyon allowed three goals on four shots. Luukkonen stopped 18 shots in relief.
Dahlin’s contribution to the win was praised by Luukkonen. He noted that Dahlin stepped up in an elimination game, leading the team.
Canadiens’ Perspective
Jake Evans had a goal and an assist for Montreal. Arber Xhekaj and Ivan Demidov also scored for the Canadiens, who are the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic.
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis acknowledged his team’s poor performance. He said that they did not play a good game.
Jakub Dobes allowed six goals on 33 shots. He was replaced midway through the third period by Jacob Fowler, who saved one of two shots over the final 10:02.
Looking Ahead to Game 7
- Game 7 is scheduled for Monday in Buffalo.
- The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- It will be broadcast on ESPN, SN, TVAS, and CBC.
Thompson stated that the team has been in a situation where people have doubted them all season. He believes that the team’s belief in themselves is the only thing that matters.
Game 7 will be the decider after the Sabres dominant comeback.