The Montreal Canadiens delivered one of their dominating performances of the playoffs with a strong 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3. Montreal completely changed the momentum in front of an energetic Bell Centre crowd, and several players stepped up as heroes in the game.

The Buffalo Sabres started strongly as Tage Thompson scored only 53 seconds into the game. The early goal briefly quieted the crowd. But the Montreal Canadiens quickly answered with aggressive pressure, quick puck movement, and strong attacking play.

Alex Newhook scored an equalizer for the Canadiens at 15:31 in the first period. His performance becomes one of the highlights of the game.

The Montreal Canadiens forward scored two goals and constantly troubled the Buffalo Sabres defenders. His speed and attacking play gave Montreal a big offensive boost during important moments.

Cole Caufield also made a big impact. After struggling earlier in the series, he scored a power-play goal and added an assist for the Montreal Canadiens. As the game went on, his confidence grew, and Montreal’s offense looked even more dangerous.

Another big factor was the Montreal Canadiens' power play. Montreal took advantage of the Buffalo Sabres' penalties and scored important goals at the right moments.

Buffalo’s undisciplined play in the offensive zone hurt the team badly and allowed Montreal to control the momentum for long periods.

Lane Hutson impressed again with two assists and smart puck movement for the Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo Sabres struggled defensively, while goalie Jakub Dobes made key saves after the early goal to keep Montreal in control.

Montreal Canadiens take the lead

With this win, the Canadiens are now leading the series 2-1 after three games. They started Round 2 of the playoffs against the Sabres with a 4-2 loss, but made a strong comeback in the next two games. The team has been dominating in the last two games, winning 5-1 and 6-2. 

After Game 3 win, Martin St. Louis said Montreal controlled momentum for most of Game 3 and stayed composed whenever Buffalo pushed back.

“We had the momentum a lot, and we kept it for a long time,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “When we lost that momentum — and you’re going to lose momentum, Buffalo’s an excellent team — we didn’t hurt ourselves too much.

Martin St. Louis praised Montreal’s defensive discipline, fast pace, and ability to keep sustained pressure in Buffalo’s zone.

“We defended well when it was time to defend, we played with a lot of pace, and obviously we were able to create a lot of offensive chances, and we spent a lot of time in their zone.”

The coach also praised Dobes for his saves and Cole for his gameplay. Overall, Game 3 showed why the Canadiens are becoming one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs.

If the Montreal Canadiens keep playing with this much confidence and energy, the pressure will now move heavily onto the Buffalo Sabres heading into Game 4 on May 12, 2026.

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Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason