Sabres, Canadiens head to Game 7

The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens will decide their Eastern Conference second-round series in Game 7 on Monday night after Buffalo forced a winner-take-all finale with an 8-3 victory in Game 6. NHL.com said the game will be played at KeyBank Center in Buffalo at 7:30 p.m. ET. The winner advances to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. NHL.com’s conference finals schedule lists that series as beginning Thursday, May 21, in Carolina. ### Why is Buffalo hosting the deciding game? Buffalo earned home ice by finishing ahead of Montreal in the regular-season standings, according to the Sabres’ Game 7 preview. That same team preview said the Sabres finished three points ahead of the Canadiens, putting the deciding game at KeyBank Center. (nhl.com) NHL.com’s schedule page for May 18 lists only one game on the league calendar: Canadiens at Sabres, Round 2, Game 7, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The league schedule also shows the series tied 3-3 entering Monday. ### How did this series get to a seventh game? Montreal took a 2-1 series lead on May 10 with a 6-2 win in Game 3 at Bell Centre, powered by two goals from Alex Newhook, according to NHL.com’s game recap. (nhl.com) The Canadiens later moved within one win of the conference final before Buffalo answered in Game 6. (nhl.com) Game 6 on May 16 turned the series back toward Buffalo. NHL.com’s Sabres site said Rasmus Dahlin had five points and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 18 saves in relief as Buffalo won 8-3 in Montreal to force Monday’s game. ### What are the stakes for the Sabres and Canadiens? The winner will claim the final Eastern Conference berth still open. NHL.com said Carolina has already secured its place in the conference final and will meet either Buffalo or Montreal. (nhl.com) For Buffalo, NHL.com described Game 7 as a rare spot for a club trying to push deeper into the postseason. (nhl.com) For Montreal, the same league preview noted the Canadiens had already won one Game 7 in these playoffs and entered the night with a stronger historical record in such games than Buffalo. (nhl.com) ### What have players and coaches said before puck drop? Tage Thompson said after Game 6 that the moment was one players “dream of growing up,” according to the Sabres’ official preview for Monday. Alex Tuch, speaking on the Sabres’ team site, called a Game 7 with his hometown team a “dream come true.” (nhl.com) Montreal entered the game after what NHL.com described as shock over the Game 6 loss. The league’s homepage teaser said the Canadiens were eager to “bounce forward” in Game 7. ### When would the next series begin? NHL.com’s conference finals schedule says the Eastern Conference Final opens Thursday, May 21, with Game 1 at the Hurricanes. The league schedule for May 23 lists Game 2 of that series, also in Carolina. (nhl.com) The NHL announced conference final scenarios earlier in the week and said Carolina would face either Buffalo or Montreal in the next round. (nhl.com) Monday’s result will settle that matchup, with television details for the conference finals posted on NHL.com’s schedule page. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2)