Sabres beat Canadiens; Ducks even series

The NHL’s second round got two very different tone-setters on Wednesday night. Buffalo looked sharp and opportunistic in a 4-2 win over Montreal, while Anaheim pushed back hard with a 3-1 road win in Vegas. That matters because both series were still trying to answer the same question — are we getting a favorite in control, or a matchup that’s about to get weird? After one night, the answer is split. ### Why did Buffalo get the jump? Buffalo won Game 1 because it scored first, scored on the power play, and never really let Montreal settle into a clean comeback rhythm. Josh Doan opened the scoring early, Ryan McLeod added a power-play goal later in the first, Jordan Greenway made it 3-1 in the second, and Bowen Byram pushed it to 4-1 with another power-play strike. Montreal got goals from Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach, but the Sabres kept restoring the cushion before the game could tilt. (nhl.com) ### Why do the power-play goals matter so much? Because special teams can swing a series fast, and Buffalo’s power play had been a weak spot. In Game 1, it suddenly looked alive. McLeod scored with the extra man at 13:26 of the first period, and Byram did it again at 9:01 of the second(nhl.com)tical reinvention, just two clean punishments when the other team slips. (nhl.com) ### Who actually drove Buffalo’s offense? The useful answer is not just the goal scorers. Doan and McLeod each finished with a goal and an assist, and Zach Benson quietly had two assists. That trio helped Buffalo build the game instead of just finishing chances. When a playoff opener s(nhl.com)han ride one hot line. (nhl.com) ### Did Montreal play badly? Not exactly. Montreal actually outshot Buffalo 28-16, which is the weird part of the box score. The Canadiens generated volume, and Suzuki’s power-play goal late in the first gave them a path back into the game. But Buffalo was much more efficient, and Mont(nhl.com)t doesn’t help much if the other team gets the cleaner chances and the special-teams edge. (nhl.com) ### How did Anaheim even the other series? Anaheim did it by turning Game 2 into the kind of road playoff game that frustrates a higher seed. Beckett Sennecke broke the scoreless tie in the second period, Leo Carlsson made it 2-0 in the third, and Jansen Harkins added an empty-netter b(nhl.com) score says 3-1, but the shape of the game says Anaheim stayed patient, defended well, and made Vegas chase. (nhl.com) ### Why is 1-1 a big deal for Anaheim? Because stealing one of the first two in Vegas changes the whole emotional geometry of the series. Instead of heading home down 0-2, the Ducks bring it back to Anaheim even. That flips the pressure. Vegas no longer has a cushion, and Anaheim now gets Games 3 and 4 at home with proof that its game can travel. (nhl.com) ### What happens next? Buffalo hosts Montreal again for Game 2 on Friday, May 8, with the Sabres up 1-0. Vegas goes to Anaheim for Game 3 that same night, with that series tied 1-1. So the next checkpoint is simple — Buffalo can tighten its grip, and Anaheim can turn one road punch into real control. (nhl.com) ### Bottom line Wednesday didn’t decide either series, but it did clarify the pressure points. Buffalo showed that its special teams can matter, not just its top-end talent. Anaheim showed Vegas this won’t be a quick, tidy favorite’s march. In the second round, that’s usually how a normal bracket starts to break.