The Buffalo Sabres waited 19 years to host a second-round playoff game again, and when the puck finally dropped Wednesday night at KeyBank Center, they absolutely looked every bit like a team determined to keep this run going.
Buffalo opened the Eastern Conference Semifinal with a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in a game that started physical, got tense late, and ultimately showed exactly why the Sabres have become one of the NHL’s most dangerous teams over the last five months.
The atmosphere felt different from the opening faceoff. The building was loud long before puck drop, and Buffalo came out playing with an edge that looked like it carried over directly from the Boston series. The Sabres were finishing hits, taking away time and space, and trying to overwhelm Montreal physically early.
After an ugly opening power play that struggled just to gain the zone, Buffalo settled in and struck first on a rush chance. Josh Doan finished off a 2-on-1 setup from Zach Benson midway through the opening period to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead, and from there the pace of the game started to tighten.
Montreal had moments where its speed flashed, especially through the neutral zone, but Buffalo largely dictated the physicality and controlled the dangerous areas of the ice. The Canadiens tied the game later in the first, but it never really felt like the Sabres panicked. That composure has become one of the defining traits of this playoff run.
The second period turned into a grind. Buffalo had stretches where it looked like it might completely take over, especially once the forecheck started hemming Montreal in its own zone, but the Canadiens kept hanging around. The difference eventually came on special teams.
After Buffalo’s power play struggled badly to open the game, it completely flipped later in the night. Ryan McLeod buried his first career playoff power-play goal, and later Bowen Byram blasted home another to help swing momentum firmly Buffalo’s way.
That goal from Byram continued what’s becoming a ridiculous postseason run for the defenseman. He now has four playoff goals, tying the franchise record for goals by a Sabres defenseman in a single postseason alongside Mike Ramsey, Jason Woolley, and Alexei Zhitnik.
Montreal pushed hard late and cut the deficit to one entering the third, but Buffalo’s depth kept showing up.
That’s been one of the biggest stories of this entire playoff run. It hasn’t just been the stars carrying the Sabres. Benson was all over the ice again and finished with two assists, continuing one of the best playoff stretches by a Buffalo player his age in decades. McLeod finished with a goal and an assist, while Jordan Greenway added an insurance goal late — his first playoff goal since 2022.
And then there was Alex Lyon again.
The numbers won’t jump off the page, but Lyon continued to give the Sabres exactly what they’ve needed this postseason: calm. Montreal had moments where it threatened to swing momentum, especially during scrambles around the crease and a few transition chances, but Lyon never looked rattled. He finished with 26 saves and improved to 5-1 this postseason with a ridiculous .950 save percentage.
Buffalo’s structure defensively might’ve been the most impressive part of the night. Against a Montreal team built on speed and creativity, the Sabres consistently clogged the middle of the ice, limited odd-man rushes, and forced the Canadiens into low-quality looks for long stretches.
The final horn felt significant beyond just Game 1.
The victory marked Buffalo’s first playoff win beyond the opening round since Game 4 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Final against Ottawa. It also gave the Sabres five straight playoff wins over Montreal dating back to 1998, making Buffalo the only franchise in NHL history with multiple playoff winning streaks of five or more games against the Canadiens.
More than anything, though, this looked like a team that believes it belongs here.
Not just in the playoffs. Not just in the second round.
Here. In games that matter this much.