The Buffalo Sabres leveled their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens with a determined win on Tuesday evening.
Zach Benson netted the decisive goal, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves as the Sabres edged out the Canadiens 3-2 in a thrilling Game 4 marked by lengthy reviews, unusual bounces, and numerous penalties, bringing the playoff series to a tie at two games each.
Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson — benefitting from a fortunate deflection — also contributed goals for Buffalo, as the Sabres bounced back after suffering defeats in Games 2 and 3, where they were outscored 11-3. Josh Doan provided two assists, while Thompson added another, resulting in a productive two-point performance.
Luukkonen performed admirably in his first game since losing in Game 2 of the opening round against Boston, taking over from Alex Lyon following two consecutive heavy losses.
For Montreal, Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield found the back of the net, while the team struggled on the power play, going 1-for-7. Jakub Dobes recorded 19 saves.
The series will return to Buffalo for Game 5 on Thursday night, with Game 6 set to take place at the Bell Centre on Saturday.
Benson nets power-play goal
Benson gave the Sabres a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal just 4:41 into the third period, deftly flipping a backhand shot past Dobes’s glove from near the crease while Jake Evans served a holding penalty.
The Canadiens missed a chance to take advantage of a four-minute power play late in the second period into the third, as Luukkonen thwarted attempts from Ivan Demidov, and Nick Suzuki failed to convert on a prime opportunity.
Later in the third, Dobes made a crucial save against Konsta Helenius during a 2-on-1 break, using his stick to deny the shot and invigorating the Bell Centre crowd.
Dobes denied Helenius once more with under three minutes remaining, this time using his blocker to maintain the one-goal lead.
With two minutes left, the Canadiens goalie vacated his net for an extra attacker, but Montreal was unable to generate a significant scoring opportunity before the final buzzer.
The celebrated atmosphere at the Bell Centre, which has received acclaim on social media across Canada and the U.S. this week, surged following Sunday’s victory and reached another deafening level before the puck dropped, having rattled the Sabres during Game 3.
Buffalo Sabres’ Conor Timmins (21) and Mattias Samuelsson (23) defend in front of goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) as Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky (20) takes a shot. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)
This time, Guy Carbonneau — the captain during the Canadiens’ last Cup victory in 1993 — entered the lower bowl carrying the ceremonial torch. The crowd erupted in cheers as Dobes was announced in the starting lineup, followed by a rousing rendition of “O Canada” sung by the energized fans.
However, the visiting team struck first, scoring 6:32 into the opening period when Samuelsson capped off a beautiful passing sequence with Josh Norris and Doan during a fast break, as the Sabres dominated early shots 8-1.
Sabres goal overturned after review
A bizarre moment unfolded less than two minutes later when Jack Quinn’s scoring opportunity, initially thought to be stopped by Dobes, was declared a goal and subsequently overturned after two reviews.
Quinn fired a shot into Dobes’s glove off a rebound, which led to a stoppage. The officials reviewed the play during a subsequent TV timeout, determining that Dobes’s glove had crossed the goal line with the puck.
However, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis successfully challenged for goalie interference due to Helenius’s contact with Dobes prior to Quinn’s attempt, sending the crowd into a frenzy after a lengthy 10-minute delay.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada offers a message of support to the Montreal Canadiens as fans rally behind the team and shares how it feels to lead the city during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This shift in momentum allowed the red-hot Newhook to tie the game at 10:08, finishing a pass from Jake Evans for his fifth goal in three games.
Caufield then pushed the Canadiens ahead 2-1 with just 13 seconds remaining in the first period, sneaking a clever shot between Luukkonen’s legs on the power play after Thompson was penalized for a needless cross-check.
Luukkonen responded early in the second period with two outstanding saves on Caufield during another Canadiens power play, denying him from the slot and then stretching to stop a one-timer.
Thompson then tied the game with a bizarre dump-in from center ice during a power play, which instead of rolling along the boards, bounced off an edge in the corner, deflecting off Dobes’s pad and into the net seven minutes into the second period.
CBC’s Kwabena Oduro asked Montreal Canadiens fans how they cope with stress when watching their team play live at the city’s iconic venue. Their stress-relief strategies range from nudging fellow fans to munching on popcorn.
