Zach Benson’s goal sparks Sabres’ momentum in Round 2

Buffalo’s second round did not turn into a clean Sabres surge. That’s the first thing to get straight. The Sabres opened the series by beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Wednesday, May 6, and Zach Benson was right in the middle of it. But by Friday, May 8, Montreal answered with a 5-1 win and tied the series at 1-1. So the story now is narrower, but still interesting — Benson keeps showing up in the moments where Buffalo’s pace and edge come from. ### What actually happened in Game 1? Game 1 was Buffalo’s best version of itself — fast, annoying, and opportunistic. Josh Doan and Zach Benson created the first two Sabres goals, Ryan McLeod scored on the power play, Bowen Byram added another, and Buffalo took a 4-2 win at KeyBank Center. Benson finished with two assists, both in the first period, and his line helped put Montreal on its heels almost immediately. (nhl.com) ### Why did Benson matter so much? Because his impact was not just the box score. He drew a tripping penalty 30 seconds into Game 1, helped create Buffalo’s opening odd-man rush goal, and then fed McLeod on the power play. That’s the kind of playoff shift sequence coaches love — one player keeps forcing the game toward the other team’s net until something breaks. Buffalo’s own recap basically framed Benson and Doan as the chaos engine that carried over from Round 1. (nhl.com) ### Was this really about the power play? A lot of it was. Buffalo’s power play had been rough against Boston in the first round — one goal in 24 chances. Then the Sabres went 2-for-3 in Game 1 against Montreal. That is why NHL.com described Buffalo as maybe “powering up” and “getting rolling.” The point was not that every problem vanished. It was that the weakest-looking part of Buffalo’s attack suddenly looked dangerous. (nhl.com) ### So did the momentum keep going? Not really. That’s the catch. Montreal punched back hard in Game 2, scoring twice in the opening 4:27 and winning 5-1. Alex Newhook scored twice, and the Canadiens evened the series before Buffalo could turn one strong opener into real control. Benson did score late in the second period, but that goal was more of a brief interruption than a swing. (nhl.com) ### Then why is Benson still the angle? Because even with the series tied, he keeps appearing in Buffalo’s most dangerous sequences. In Game 1 he was the setup man. In Game 2 he was the lone Sabres scorer. For a young winger, that matters — not because one player can drag a whole series alone, but because playoff identity usually shows up first in repeatable details like puck pressure, drawn penalties, and quick-touch offense. (nhl.com) Benson keeps checking those boxes. ### What changed from Round 1? Buffalo came out of the Boston series looking like a team that had finally found some belief. The Canadiens series was supposed to test whether that was real or just matchup-specific. Through two games, the answer is mixed. The Sabres showed they can still generate that swarming forecheck-and-rush style, but Montreal’s Game 2 response showed Buffalo has not seized the series. (nhl.com) ### What should fans watch now? Watch whether Buffalo can turn Benson’s shifts into sustained offense instead of isolated bursts. Watch the power play too — because if Game 1 was the start of something, Buffalo gets a real edge. If Game 2 was the correction, this becomes a much more even grind. Either way, Benson has already become one of the clearest tells for how the Sabres are playing. (nhl.com) ### Bottom line? The clean “Sabres are rolling” version of this story is already outdated. The better read is that Buffalo flashed second-round bite, Montreal answered immediately, and Zach Benson has become one of the biggest reasons the series still feels alive from Buffalo’s side. (nhl.com)