BUFFALO \u2014 The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are the two youngest teams left in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have more in common than just their average age. <\/p>\n
\u201cFast, hungry teams,\u201d said Canadiens defenceman Kaiden Guhle during a media session at the team hotel on Friday morning. \u201cBoth got something to prove. They haven\u2019t been in the playoffs in a long time and they had a great season this year. They got something to prove to themselves and to the league and it will be a good series.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sabres are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. The Canadiens made it last year, but lost in the first round. So, what does Montreal have to prove? <\/p>\n
\u201cThat we\u2019re here,\u201d said Guhle. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to just be a team that wins a round or two and then you get booted every year. We want to prove that we\u2019re here right now and want to show the league and the world that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friday night represents a big moment in that mission as the Canadiens look to even up the second-round series in Buffalo. Montreal was not at its best in Wednesday\u2019s 4-2 loss in Game 1, but the team can draw confidence from how they bounced back in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time we lost we responded well and gonna have to do that tonight,\u201d Guhle said. \u201cWe\u2019ve always responded and [in] certain situations where maybe we\u2019ve got knocked down or kicked down, we\u2019ve always responded well so not worried about that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Canadiens responded to every Lightning win with a win of their own in the first round. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been together now for four years,\u201d said Montreal coach Martin St. Louis. \u201cI think we\u2019re very process driven. Whether we win or lose, we always feel like we turn the page.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montreal has not lost consecutive games since March 14-15. <\/p>\n
What makes the Canadiens so good at turning the page? After dropping Game 1 in Buffalo, the Canadiens are looking to earn the split tonight before the series shifts back to Montreal. They discuss their history of bouncing back from losses and explain why they’re so good at ‘turning the page’. <\/p>\n
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Montreal is confident that Lane Hutson will be able to turn the page after the defenceman called himself out for a trip and turnover that led to Buffalo\u2019s opening goal on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone is going to have a random fall, and it just sucks that it went in the back of the net,\u201d said Canadiens centre Jake Evans. \u201cBut I think every single guy in this locker room could say they could\u2019ve taken it up to that next level last game and they didn\u2019t. It speaks to him, though. He\u2019s a competitor. He loves the game and he wants to have a huge impact out there. He does so many great things for us so I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be great tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t hate it,\u201d St. Louis said of Hutson being hard on himself. \u201cHe\u2019s a competitor. He\u2019s hungry, passionate. I feel he\u2019s giving you guys a lot of time and I always feel like he\u2019s being honest with how he sees it.\u201d<\/p>\n
How does Hutson usually respond to his rare miscues? <\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, you can always count on Lane,\u201d St. Louis said succinctly. <\/p>\n
‘I don’t hate it’: Habs appreciate Hutson’s accountability Martin St. Louis discusses Lane Hutson taking accountability for his mistake in Game 1 and appreciates the youngsters mentality. The whole team knows Hutson will bounce back tonight as they look to even up the series. <\/p>\n
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Cole Caufield will be looking to snap a season-long four-game point drought. After potting 51 goals in the regular season, the Rocket Richard Trophy runner-up has scored just once through eight playoff games. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe always answers,\u201d Evans assured. \u201cAgain, another guy that loves the game. A big competitor and no one needs to be hard on him because he\u2019s already hard on himself and he wants to win so badly. He had a lot of pressure to score that 50th and he did it. Again, another guy I\u2019m really excited to watch tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
After being the last player on the ice at Thursday\u2019s optional practice, Caufield was asked if his mindset now is similar to when he was chasing goal No. 50. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m chasing two right now so it\u2019s a little bit different. Obviously we\u2019re just chasing wins. That\u2019s the moral of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like Hutson, Caufield took accountability on Thursday in saying his game is not where he wants it to be. <\/p>\n
Cole Caufield on his game right now: “As a whole probably not where I want it to be. Obviously I expect more out of myself & my teammates do too. Just trying to get better every game & just trying to make a difference”@TSN_Sports<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mark Masters (@markhmasters) May 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s always been there, always scored big goals for us,\u201d Guhle said. \u201cObviously right now maybe not where he wants it to be but I don\u2019t think anyone is worried. All it takes is one and the floodgates will open for him.\u201d<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n The Canadiens will look to stay out of the penalty box after the much-maligned Sabres power play showed signs of life by going 2\/3 in Game 1. <\/p>\n Agitating winger Zach Benson drew a first-period tripping penalty on Hutson and is tied for second in the playoffs with nine drawn calls. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a skilled player,\u201d Guhle observed. \u201cHe\u2019s a rat. I\u2019ve played against him in junior and he battles hard. He\u2019s a good player. He had a good game in Game 1, so try and limit him.\u201d<\/p>\n Benson picked up two assists and was named the first star in Game 1. <\/p>\n \u201cHis ability to read the situation and read people and understand the game is high,\u201d said Sabres goalie Alex Lyon. \u201cThere\u2019s an art to his madness. I don\u2019t necessarily know he wants to let people believe that. He definitely knows what he\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/p>\n MCAVOY TOOK A SWING AT BENSON \ud83d\ude2c<\/p>\n In the dying minutes of Game 6, Charlie McAvoy took a swing at Zach Benson which landed him a 5-minute penalty for slashing and a game misconduct.<\/p>\n Do you think he should face any supplemental discipline?<\/p>\n (\ud83c\udfa5: @espn<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/SvoaPqLmre<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 BarDown (@BarDown) May 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n ‘He’s a rat’: Guhle knows Benson’s game after history in junior Zach Benson finished with a pair of helpers in the Sabres Game 1 win. Kaiden Guhle credits Benson for being a ‘skilled player’ but also calls him a rat, after having played him back in junior. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n No lineup changes are expected by either team in Game 2. <\/p>\n Gallagher, Struble, Laine and Kapanen still on the ice for Montreal, suggesting no lineup changes for Game 2 tonight pic.twitter.com\/QzRQZX7T0V<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n #Sabres<\/a> lines at the morning skate, ahead of Game 2 vs. Montreal:<\/p>\n Krebs-Thompson-Tuch Dahlin-Samuelsson Lyon \u2014 Rachel Lenzi \ud83d\udc81\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\ude0e\ud83d\udca5 (@rachelmlenzi) May 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n
Zucker-McLeod-Quinn
Benson-Norris-Doan
Greenway-Kozak-Malenstyn<\/p>\n
Timmins-Stanley
Byram-Power<\/p>\n
UPL\/Ellis<\/p>\n