Canadiens rout Sabres 5-1

Montreal didn’t just win Game 2. The Canadiens grabbed the series by the collar in the first five minutes and never really let Buffalo breathe. That matters because Game 1 had tilted the matchup toward the Sabres, and a second straight loss would have sent Montreal home chasing. Instead, the Canadiens left Buffalo with a 5-1 win on Friday, May 8, and turned this into a best-of-five with the next two games in Montreal. ### Why did this game feel over so early? Because Montreal scored twice in the opening 4:27. Alex Newhook opened it, then Mike Matheson made it 2-0 before Buffalo could really settle in. In playoff hockey, that kind of start changes everything — line matching, puck management, crowd energy, all of it. Buffalo spent the rest of the night trying to erase the first few minutes. (nhl.com) ### Why was Newhook the story? He gave Montreal exactly the kind of game teams need from a secondary scorer in May — two goals, both momentum shifters, not empty calories. The first cracked the game open. The second widened the gap and kept Buffalo from building any real push. When a series is tight, a player like Newhook can be the hinge between “good response” and “statement win.” (nhl.com) ### Was this just about scoring? No — the goaltending mattered a lot. Jakub Dobes stopped 33 shots, which tells you Buffalo did generate chances even if the scoreboard looks lopsided. That’s the catch with a 5-1 game: it can look like one team got steamrolled from wire to wire. Turns out Buffalo had enough volume to make this interesting, but Dobes shut the door before any comeback could start. (nhl.com) ### What went wrong for Buffalo? The Sabres chased the game almost immediately, and that’s a bad place to live against a team that wants to defend with structure and counter. Zach Benson scored late in the second period, but by then Montreal already had a big cushion. Buffalo’s postgame mood was blunt — Rasmus Dahlin called the effort “unacceptable,” which is about as clear as it gets. (nhl.com) ### Did Montreal change anything from Game 1? The biggest visible change was urgency. Montreal looked faster to loose pucks and cleaner getting out of its own zone, and the early goals let the Canadiens play from ahead instead of forcing offense later. That doesn’t mean every underlying problem vanished. But it does mean the series script changed — Buffalo no longer owns the tone after taking the opener. (nhl.com) ### Why does heading back to Montreal matter so much? Because Buffalo’s Game 1 win was supposed to protect home ice. That edge is gone now. The series is tied 1-1, and Games 3 and 4 shift to Montreal, where the Canadiens can control matchups and ride the building. In the playoffs, stealing one on the road is useful. Splitting the first two and taking home ice back is better. (nhl.com) ### So what should you watch next? Watch the first 10 minutes of Game 3. Buffalo has to prove Game 2 was one bad night, not a momentum swing. Montreal has to show this wasn’t just a hot start and a hot goalie. Basically, the series just got reset — but the pressure now feels heavier on the Sabres, not the Canadiens. (nhl.com) ### The bottom line? Montreal didn’t merely answer Buffalo’s opener. The Canadiens changed the terms of the series — fast, hard, and at exactly the right time. (nhl.com)