Sabres Special Teams Surge Lifts them Above the Canadiens 4-2
Written By Josie Dinonsie
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres had been searching for a spark on the power play throughout the postseason. On Wednesday night, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference second round, they found it.
Buffalo scored twice on the man advantage and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 at KeyBank Center to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Sabres entered the night with just one power play goal in six first-round games, but less than 15 minutes into the contest, Ryan McLeod helped turn things around with his first goal of the postseason on the man advantage.
Buffalo’s special teams success continued in the third period when Bowen Byram added another power play goal to extend the Sabres’ lead to 4-1. The pair of goals on the man advantage became one of the biggest takeaways from Game 1, highlighting special teams as a key difference-maker in the series opener.
Between the Sabres’ relentless forecheck and their offensive efficiency, especially on the power play, Buffalo gained an offensive confidence that had been missing at times during the first round.
“He really relishes the opportunity to be, you know, play for something big,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said about Byram postgame. “He’s trying to make every play count…He’s got that taste and you can see the hunger he has.”
Buffalo’s quick-paced offense controlled the game from the opening puck drop. The Sabres came out fresh, fast, and composed, applying constant pressure to a Canadiens team coming off a Game 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Sabres carried over the physicality, offensive energy, momentum, and defensive composure that helped them eliminate the Boston Bruins in the first round.
Josh Doan opened the scoring at 4:31 of the first period to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead before McLeod struck on the power play at 13:26 to make it 2-0. For long stretches, the Sabres played with complete control, limiting Montreal’s ability to generate sustained offensive pressure.
The Canadiens responded with goals from Nick Suzuki on the power play and Kirby Dach during a late second-period push, cutting Buffalo’s lead to 4-2. Despite outshooting the Sabres 28-16, Montreal could not generate enough quality chances to complete the comeback.
Buffalo’s defensive structure kept the Canadiens’ dangerous young offense to the perimeter and limited high-quality scoring opportunities. Whether it was Alex Lyon making key saves, disciplined play that avoided unnecessary penalties, or timely shot blocking, the Sabres came together defensively to secure the Game 1 victory.
“We were a team that put too much risk in our game for a long period of time, and I think we’ve been able to balance that risk, where our defense are still involved but we're not giving up crazy opportunities to allow the other team to get back in it,” Ruff said.
The Sabres will look to carry their power play success and defensive composure into Game 2 on Friday night at KeyBank Center. Still, Montreal’s late offensive push served as a reminder that the series is far from over.
