Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo SabresMay 6, 2026

FinalPlayoffsWednesday, May 6, 2026· KeyBank Center

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Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
MTL	1	1	0	2		MTL	9	8	11	28
BUF	2	2	0	4		BUF	6	9	1	16

: MTL 53BUF 46
: MTL 2.62BUF 2.51
PP goals: MTL 1BUF 2
Hits: MTL 31BUF 27
Blocks: MTL 12BUF 13
PIM: MTL 6BUF 4
: MTL 63%BUF 37%

Fantasy takeaways

Generated from the play-by-play, shifts and season context. No opinions, just what changed.

Buffalo Sabres beat Montreal Canadiens 4–2

Buffalo Sabres beat Montreal Canadiens 4–2 at home. Josh Doan (BUF) led the scoring with 1G 1A. MTL's first power-play unit (Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, Slafkovský and Demidov) scored 1 power-play goal on 7 attempts in 3:13 together.

Points
Josh Doan had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 3 shots in 17:26.Doan
Points
Ryan McLeod had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 2 shots in 14:33.McLeod
Points
Zach Benson had 2 assists (2 points) on 1 shot in 16:56.Benson
PP1
MTL's first power-play unit (Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, Slafkovský and Demidov) scored 1 power-play goal on 7 attempts in 3:13 together.Suzuki Caufield Hutson Slafkovský Demidov
New line
New look for MTL: Evans–Newhook–Demidov skated 11:31 together at 5v5 as the L2 trio (57.1% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Evans Newhook Demidov
New line
New look for MTL: Danault–Anderson–Texier skated 9:57 together at 5v5 as the L3 trio (46.7% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Danault Anderson Texier
New line
New look for MTL: Veleno–Dach–Bolduc skated 6:53 together at 5v5 as the L4 trio (25% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Veleno Dach Bolduc
Usage
Mike Matheson (MTL) played 21:00, −4:04 down on his 25:04 season average over 18 games.Matheson

Shot map

Both teams on one rink, filtered by strength and period.

Shot map

Every attempt, sized by expected goals. Goals are rings, shots on goal dots, misses hollow, blocks crosses.

Strength

Period

Team

← MTL attacks left (bottom on phones)BUF attacks right (top on phones) →

BUF
MTL
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 99 of 99 attempts · BUF 46 · MTL 53

Game flow

Cumulative expected goals and shot attempts, with power plays shaded and goals marked.

Cumulative shot attempts

BUF
MTL
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

BUF pressure
MTL pressure
Goal
Control (|PI| > 0.25)

: descriptive only, the team with more pressure scored the next goal about half the time. In control: MTL 27% of the game, BUF 25%.

Shift chart

Every shift, grouped by line and pair; bars are coloured by strength state. Click a player to highlight.

Shifts

BUF

MTL

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Head-to-head matchups

BUF skaters (rows) against MTL skaters (columns) at 5v5. Square size is time together; colour is xGF% from the BUF side.

Matchup matrix

BUF xGF% 4060square size = TOI together · blank = under 1:00

Sequence card

5-on-5 possession-chain numbers from the sequence engine (Draw Equity and control cover all situations).

Sequence card
Stat	MTL	BUF
	44	46
	1.80	2.05
	1.68	1.97
	8	11
	4	4
	13	13
	+0.057	−0.057
	27%	25%

Definitions: sequence xG, transition attempts, Draw Equity, control and the Pressure Index.

Lines used

Detected from who actually shared the ice, with time together. Percentages are the unit's share of shot attempts.

Montreal Canadiens

L1Suzuki – Caufield – Slafkovský
12:0256% CF
L2Evans – Newhook – Demidov
11:3157% CF
L3Danault – Anderson – Texier
9:5747% CF
L4Veleno – Dach – Bolduc
6:5325% CF
D1Dobson – Hutson
15:3048% CF
D2Matheson – Carrier
10:1342% CF
D3Guhle – Xhekaj
5:0050% CF

PP1Suzuki – Caufield – Hutson – Slafkovský – Demidov
3:13100% CF
PK1FDanault – Anderson
2:54
PK2FEvans – Newhook
2:16
PK1DMatheson – Carrier
3:09
PK2DGuhle – Hutson
0:33

Current MTL line combinations →

Buffalo Sabres

L1Tuch – Thompson – Krebs
10:5552% CF
L2Norris – Doan – Benson
10:2950% CF
L3Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
9:4753% CF
L4Greenway – Malenstyn – Kozak
8:4252% CF
D1Samuelsson – Dahlin
11:3450% CF
D2Byram – Power
9:2933% CF
D3Stanley – Timmins
9:2950% CF

PP1Zucker – Tuch – Thompson – Norris – Dahlin
2:4950% CF
PP2McLeod – Byram – Quinn – Doan – Benson
2:30100% CF
PK1FTuch – McLeod
1:02
PK2FGreenway – Malenstyn
0:47
PK1DTimmins – Samuelsson
2:22
PK2DByram – Power
0:47

Current BUF line combinations →

Scoring summary

Every goal with the skaters on the ice for it.

1st period

4:31
BUFJosh Doan (Zach Benson)snap0.28 xG
MTL: Suzuki, Dobson, Caufield, Hutson, SlafkovskýBUF: Norris, Dahlin, Doan, Power, Benson
MTL 0 – 1 BUF
13:26
BUFRyan McLeodPP (Zach Benson, Josh Doan)snap0.23 xG
MTL: Danault, Anderson, Guhle, HutsonBUF: McLeod, Byram, Quinn, Doan, Benson
MTL 0 – 2 BUF
19:16
MTLNick SuzukiPP (Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov)snap0.29 xG
MTL: Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, Slafkovský, DemidovBUF: Greenway, Malenstyn, Byram, Power
MTL 1 – 2 BUF

2nd period

3:32
BUFJordan Greenway (Mattias Samuelsson)wrist0.04 xG
MTL: Matheson, Carrier, Veleno, Dach, BolducBUF: Greenway, Malenstyn, Samuelsson, Byram, Kozak
MTL 1 – 3 BUF
9:01
BUFBowen ByramPP (Ryan McLeod)snap0.14 xG
MTL: Danault, Matheson, Evans, HutsonBUF: McLeod, Byram, Quinn, Doan, Benson
MTL 1 – 4 BUF
16:31
MTLKirby Dach (Zachary Bolduc)wrist0.19 xG
MTL: Veleno, Dobson, Dach, Bolduc, HutsonBUF: Tuch, Thompson, Timmins, Krebs, Power
MTL 2 – 4 BUF

Box score

Skaters grouped by the line they played on; CF% is the 5v5 share of shot attempts while on the ice.

Montreal Canadiens

MTL skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Nick Suzuki C	L1	1	0	1	-1	3	0.43	2	0	2	21:02	—	—	59	42
Juraj Slafkovský L	L1	0	1	1	-1	4	0.48	1	0	0	19:41	—	—	53	33
Cole Caufield R	L1	0	0	0	-1	2	0.04	1	0	0	19:08	—	—	56	36
Ivan Demidov R	L2	0	1	1	0	2	0.47	1	0	0	18:19	—	—	55	74
Alex Newhook C	L2	0	0	0	0	4	0.24	3	0	0	16:52	—	—	57	74
Jake Evans C	L2	0	0	0	0	2	0.04	1	1	0	15:49	—	—	57	74
Josh Anderson R	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	2	0	0	15:46	—	—	57	47
Phillip Danault C	L3	0	0	0	0	1	0.20	3	0	0	15:20	—	—	47	35
Alexandre Texier L	L3	0	0	0	0	1	0.07	0	0	0	11:44	—	—	53	39
Kirby Dach C	L4	1	0	1	0	1	0.19	2	0	0	9:46	—	—	29	36
Zachary Bolduc R	L4	0	1	1	0	0	0.00	5	0	0	8:53	—	—	29	41
Joseph Veleno C	L4	0	0	0	0	1	0.04	5	0	0	8:33	—	—	21	41
Lane Hutson D	D1	0	0	0	0	4	0.23	0	2	2	26:42	—	—	53	52
Noah Dobson D	D1	0	0	0	0	2	0.03	0	2	0	24:09	—	—	51	37
Mike Matheson D	D2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.03	0	3	0	21:00	—	—	38	42
Alexandre Carrier D	D2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.14	0	0	0	18:45	—	—	50	45
Kaiden Guhle D	D3	0	0	0	0	0	0.01	2	3	2	18:22	—	—	47	47
Arber Xhekaj D	D3	0	0	0	0	0	0.01	3	1	0	7:42	—	—	60	75

MTL goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Jakub Dobes(start)	L	16	12	4	.750	2.51	56:48

Buffalo Sabres

BUF skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Alex Tuch R	L1	0	0	0	-1	1	0.24	0	1	0	19:16	—	—	52	56
Tage Thompson C	L1	0	0	0	-1	0	0.08	1	0	0	18:28	—	—	50	49
Peyton Krebs C	L1	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	4	0	0	14:02	—	—	50	49
Josh Doan R	L2	1	1	2	+1	3	0.46	2	0	0	17:26	—	—	46	54
Josh Norris C	L2	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	3	0	0	17:08	—	—	50	52
Zach Benson L	L2	0	2	2	+1	1	0.05	2	0	0	16:56	—	—	54	62
Jack Quinn R	L3	0	0	0	0	1	0.46	0	0	0	15:19	—	—	50	57
Ryan McLeod C	L3	1	1	2	0	2	0.31	0	0	0	14:33	—	—	53	66
Jason Zucker L	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.02	0	1	0	14:15	—	—	50	57
Jordan Greenway L	L4	1	0	1	+1	1	0.06	5	0	0	13:03	—	—	50	46
Tyson Kozak C	L4	0	0	0	+1	1	0.05	0	0	0	10:56	—	—	50	46
Beck Malenstyn L	L4	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	5	1	2	10:36	—	—	52	46
Mattias Samuelsson D	D1	0	1	1	+1	0	0.00	2	0	0	21:35	—	—	56	62
Rasmus Dahlin D	D1	0	0	0	+1	4	0.55	0	3	2	21:04	—	—	61	84
Bowen Byram D	D2	1	0	1	+1	2	0.23	1	0	0	21:13	—	—	52	47
Owen Power D	D2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	2	0	18:41	—	—	41	40
Conor Timmins D	D3	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	0	3	0	19:39	—	—	44	34
Logan Stanley D	D3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	2	2	0	12:52	—	—	50	53

BUF goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Alex Lyon(start)	W	28	26	2	.929	2.62	59:40

Goal anatomy

Animated replays from NHL EDGE tracking, with the entry, passes and shot speed for each goal.

Josh Doan (BUF) 1st 4:31 · assists Zach Benson · Rebound · carried in · 2-on-1 at the blue line · 20.5 mph shot · 2.9 s from entry to goal.

Josh Doan · 1st 4:31 · BUF

Play: rebound
Entry: carry
Odd man: 2-on-1
Passes: 0
Shot: 20.5 mph
Distance: 5 ft
Entry to goal: 2.9 s
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Ryan McLeod · 1st 13:26 · BUF PP

Play: rebound
Passes: 0
Shot: 47.8 mph
Distance: 12 ft
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Nick Suzuki · 1st 19:16 · MTL PP

Play: rebound
Passes: 2
Shot: 28.9 mph
Distance: 4 ft
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Jordan Greenway · 2nd 3:32 · BUF

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: 3-on-2
Passes: 1
Shot: 64.1 mph
Distance: 36 ft
Entry to goal: 2.6 s

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Bowen Byram · 2nd 9:01 · BUF PP

Play: turnover-forecheck
Passes: 1
Shot: 68.3 mph
Distance: 39 ft

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Kirby Dach · 2nd 16:31 · MTL

Play: odd-man-rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: 2-on-1
Passes: 0
Shot: 9.5 mph
Distance: 16 ft
Entry to goal: 3.3 s

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Methodology

Shot locations come from the NHL play-by-play, normalised so each shooter attacks the same way, then flipped so the home team attacks right. On-ice stats and lines come from the shift charts: a unit is the exact set of skaters sharing the ice, and CF% is the share of all shot attempts while they were out. Head-to-head cells are 5v5 time against each opponent. Expected goals and the Pressure Index appear as their models are released.