Newhook powers Canadiens 5-1 win

Montreal didn’t just win Game 2. It changed the feel of the series. After Buffalo controlled the opener, the Canadiens came back Friday night and punched first, scored early, and never really let the Sabres settle in. That 5-1 result tied the second-round matchup at 1-1 and sent it north with momentum looking a lot less one-sided than it did 48 hours earlier. ### Why did this game flip so fast? The first five minutes were basically the whole mood of the night. Alex Newhook scored at 1:36, then Mike Matheson made it 2-0 at 4:27. Buffalo spent the rest of the game trying to erase a deficit that Montreal had built before the crowd had even settled in. In the playoffs, that matters more than it sounds — once the Canadiens got the lead, they could play simpler, cleaner hockey. (nhl.com) ### Why was Newhook the story? Because he gave Montreal exactly what it needed beyond the usual headliners. Newhook scored the opener and then added another at 4:47 of the second period, pushing the lead to 3-0. He also keeps popping up in big moments — he had already scored the series-clinching goal against Tampa Bay in the first round. When a depth forward starts swinging games like that, a team gets harder to game-plan against. (nhl.com) ### What went wrong for Buffalo? A lot of it was self-inflicted. Lindy Ruff said several Montreal goals came from bad puck play, and Rasmus Dahlin called the effort unacceptable. You can see why. Peyton Krebs’ turnover helped set up the first goal, and Buffalo never looked sharp enough with the puck to force Montreal out of structure. The Sabres actually outshot the Canadiens 29-28 and threw 44 hits, but those numbers hid the bigger problem — too many mistakes in dangerous spots. (nhl.com) ### Did the Sabres have a pushback moment? A little one. Zach Benson scored at 19:22 of the second period to cut the deficit to 3-1, and if Buffalo was going to make this interesting, that was the opening. But Montreal shut the door almost immediately in the third. Alexandre Carrier scored at 3:54 after a Buffalo turnover sequence, and that was basically the end of the suspense. Nick Suzuki’s empty-netter just finished the job. (nhl.com) ### How good was Dobes? Good enough that Buffalo’s volume didn’t matter. NHL.com listed 29 saves, while ESPN’s recap listed 27, but either way the point is the same — Jakub Dobes gave Montreal calm goaltending behind a much cleaner defensive effort. Buffalo generated chances, but not enough chaos around the crease to turn the game. That let Montreal keep the game on its terms instead of getting dragged into a track meet. (nhl.com) ### What does this say about Montreal? It says the Canadiens can adjust. Dobes talked after the game about needing to adapt to Buffalo’s speed after a grinding first-round series against Tampa Bay. Game 1 looked like a team still catching up to a different style. Game 2 looked like a team that had found the pace and figured out where the openings were. That’s a big deal in a long series. (nhl.com) ### What matters heading into Game 3? Home ice and composure. The series moves to Montreal for Game 3 on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, tied 1-1. Buffalo is still dangerous — the Sabres were the top seed in the Atlantic and have plenty of speed and shot creation. But now the pressure shifts a bit. Montreal proved it can blunt Buffalo’s rush game, and Buffalo now has to show that Friday’s sloppy puck management was a blip, not a theme. (espn.com) ### Bottom line This wasn’t just a bounce-back win. It was Montreal showing the series can be played on its terms too — and that makes Game 3 feel a lot bigger than a normal 1-1 swing game. (nhl.com)