Canadiens push top line problem aside to bounce back vs. Sabres
Montreal figured things out its own way.
Canadiens push top line problem aside to bounce back vs. Sabres originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Montreal Canadiens still haven't gotten production from their top-line players. But on this night, the rest of the roster proved it was up to the task in seizing a massive bounceback win in Buffalo over the Sabres by a 5-1 score on Friday night. The Eastern Conference semifinals are now knotted at a game apiece as the next two contests will be played in Montreal.
The Canadiens did get a late goal from a top-line player when Nick Suzuki scored an empty-netter, but before that, it was the unsung players doing the goal scoring. Alex Newhook scored twice. He had been the hero in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning , and on this night, he notched his first career multi-goal playoff game.
The first goal opened the scoring, and the second made it 3-0 early in the second period. MORE: Sabres' anthem singer has a message for the haters In between, the defenseman Mike Matheson slotted an impressive shot between multiple defenders and over Alex Lyon's right shoulder for the first goal of this postseason for the defenseman. Montreal allowed Buffalo to pull one back late in the second with Zach Benson, but the Habs seized momentum right back early in the third.