The Buffalo Sabres came back from being down 3-1 to beat the Canadiens 8-3 in Game 6 on Saturday at the Bell Centre.
Both teams will play a winner-take-all final showdown on Monday.
Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette
The Sabres scored seven unanswered goals to rout the Habs with their season hanging in the balance. For a second straight series, Montreal failed to eliminate their opponent in six games when presented with the opportunity.
Jakub Dobes was mercy pulled in the third period after allowing six goals on 33 shots. Jacob Fowler made his post-season debut and faced two shots, giving up a goal in the process.
The Bell Centre crowd was raucous when six-time Cup winner and Hall of Famer Larry Robinson carried the torch during the pregame ceremony, but many fans had hit the exits by the time Zach Metsa beat Fowler with 2:11 left in regulation.
For a fourth straight game, the Sabres opened scoring. Rasmus Dahlin had a five-point night and started with the first goal only 32 seconds into the game.
For a brief moment, the Canadiens looked like the comeback kids of the regular season. They scored three consecutive goals in a span of 8:34. Arber Xhekaj scored the first playoff goal of his career off a point shot 1:08 after Dahlin’s ice breaker.
That was followed by Ivan Demidov on the power play, his second goal in as many games, and then Jake Evans shorthanded on a two-on-one.
Starting goalie Alex Lyon was pulled after allowing three goals in three games. Montreal appeared to have the Sabres on the ropes.
With Game 4 winner Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back in goal, the Sabres pulled to within one with a power-play goal by Jason Zucker. The double-minor by defenceman Mike Matheson — one of many high-sticking penalties in the series — turned out to be a turning point because the Canadiens’ lead quickly evaporated after that.
Brace yourself for six more Sabres goals. Three of them came in a lopsided second period where the Habs once again gave up a power-play goal and allowed 17 shots in all.
The first sign of trouble was Sabres pest Zach Benson scoring his third of the series just a minute into the middle frame.
Jack Quinn scored his first of two on the night, this coming on a power play not long after the Habs came up short on their man-advantage.
The Sabres took a two-goal lead after Joe Veleno was hit in the middle of the ice, allowing Konsta Helenius to pot his second of the series in only his third game.
The Canadiens were still shell-shocked in the third period. Quinn made this a laugher for the Sabres with another on the power play. That spelled the end of Dobes’s night, who went straight to the dressing room before eventually coming back to take his spot near the bench.
The Habs gave up an empty-net goal to Tage Thompson, and then allowed a final power-play goal in the game’s dying minutes from defenceman Zach Metsa, who was making his playoff debut.
Xhekaj was also assessed an interference penalty and 10-minute misconduct late in the third for his hit on Beck Malenstyn and a later attempt to draw Jordan Greenway into a skirmish.
Captain Nick Suzuki said it better than any of the Liveblog commenters on the Hockey Inside Out YouTube livestream: “That was probably the worst game we’ve played.”
Like an untrustworthy closer in baseball, the Canadiens once again dropped the ball in an elimination game on home ice. Against Tampa Bay, they were able to win Game 7 despite being outshot 29-9. Even though the result was positive, they shouldn’t aim for a repeat performance otherwise.
While the series has swung back and forth repeatedly, the games haven’t been particularly close. The Canadiens crushed the Sabres in Games 2, 3 and 5, while the Sabres got their revenge at the right time in Game 6.
Mr. Saturday Night during the regular season, Cole Caufield wilted under the bright lights of his first Saturday playoff game this year, with only two shots on goal. He slammed his stick over the bench.
The Liveblog commenters were understandably gloomy after the loss, and their impatience surrounding the inconsistencies of the top line were to be expected. Juraj Slafkovsky also didn’t strike fear into the hearts of the Sabres on this night with another baffling performance that had the commenters wondering about the lingering effects of the Mitchell Crozier hit in the first round.
Coach Martin St. Louis has shown patience in his struggling players, but the commenters would love to see someone else ride along with Suzuki.
Lane Hutson was the only player who seemed to survive the night according to Hockey Stat Cards.
Reason for optimism? The Habs are a perfect 5-0 after losing in these playoffs, and only 1-6 after a win.
A lot of venting in the comments section during and after the game. Here’s what the Liveblog commenters had to say.
3. It’s not that we lost to Buffalo, they are a very good team. It’s the way we lost to them that is so concerning. A complete team loss.
Bob Taylor
2. Seeing as this could potentially be the last home game of the season it’s sad to see the fans leaving in droves.
Ray Holden
1. That’s the worst home game loss with a chance to eliminate our opponent I’ve ever seen.
Ryan Katz
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