Canadiens Will Face Sabres, Second Round Schedule
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images It’s official, the Montreal Canadiens will take part in more playoff hockey, having won their first-round series versus the Tampa Bay Lighting . The Canadiens were victorious in Game 7 , earning a 2-1 win against the Bolts, and clinching a 4–3 series win in the process. This can only be seen a significant step forward for the organization, as they were clearly the underdogs heading into the series, and yet, they rarely allowed the Lightning to establish a single-goal lead.
They also held an edge in high-danger scoring chances for the majority of the series, the driving force behind their first-round win, alongside a few other factors, including Jakub Dobes’ goaltending, and Montreal’s depth scoring . Next Playoff Opponent The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs, and given that they finished the regular season with 109 points, three more than the Habs, Buffalo will hold the home-ice advantage in the series. Buffalo secured their first-round win by beating the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Friday, with Alex Tuch (4), Mattias Samuelsson (2), and Zach Benson (2) providing the offence for the Sabres, while David Pastrnak (3) was the lone goalscorer for the Bruins.
The Habs have the wind at their back, but it could end up being a very difficult series, as Buffalo tends to be a bad match up from a stylistic standpoint. Montreal and Buffalo split their four-game season series, but there were stretches in which the Sabres outclassed the Canadiens by a rather wide margin. Such is life in the NHL Playoffs.
To be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Sabres are certainly among the best teams in the NHL this year. Canadiens Vs. Sabres Second Round Schedule Game 1 – Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.
m. | KeyBank Center Game 2 – Friday, May 8 at 7 p. m.