3 Takeaways from Sabers 4-2 Game 1 Win Over the Canadiens – Hockey Writers –

Ever since they advanced to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the vibes have been good for the Buffalo Sabres. It’s the first time the franchise has made it this far in 19 years, beating the New York Rangers in 2007.

With the young and exciting Montreal Canadiens also on the slide, the Sabers would look to key players for an opportunity. It didn’t take long for the Sabers to grab a goal and hold on to it, defeating the Canadiens 4-2 in Game 1.

A Line to Make a Difference

It was talked about a lot in the opening round series against the Boston Bruins, but the line with Zach Benson and Josh Doan was huge for the Sabres. They really started to go down in Game 3 against the Bruins and have continued to be strong since then.

They switched centers a couple of times with Josh Norris doing well enough in the role. Doan and Benson, however, were the drivers of that line and it was the best the Sabers put on the ice consistently.

Doan scored early to get things going, added an assist on the game’s second goal less than nine minutes later, and Benson contributed the leading assists. The Sabers moved as the line moved and kept humming.

Power Play Fixed (Type)

Going into this series, the power play had to play a role if the Sabers were going to have success. After scoring just once on the power play in the Bruins series, it was nice to see the man-advantage get on the board twice against the Canadiens.

Granted, it was a second unit consisting of Doan, Benson, and Ryan McLeod, but power play goals are power play goals. The first unit had some good looks but couldn’t get over the goal line.

They don’t ask how, they ask how much fun it was to see Saba punish the Canadians by going to the box. If the first unit can finally get the monkey off its back and make both units formidable, the Canadiens will be facing a real uphill battle.

The Sabers had the Canadiens on their heels

On the surface, it looked like the Sabers had a pretty efficient game, hitting four of their 16 shots. In fact, things could have been worse for the Canadiens if a few of Saber’s shots had been an inch over one way or the other.

Rasmus Dahlin scored on a late rush in the third period. Jack Quinn hit two posts and feels very close to breaking out in these competitions. The Sabers created dangerous chances all night despite their shot total showing.

Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes was solid and kept the game from looking too bad on paper. The Canadiens struggled with the Sabers’ speed in transition, which led directly to two goals and another near miss.

Go to Game 2

The Sabers received good news even before the face-off. Sam Carrick is expected to return at some point this round as he has started training with the team again. Having his experience and physicality would be a great addition to the bottom line.

The Sabers did well this time by creating pressure with their offense and using speed in transition to keep the Canadiens on their heels for long periods of time. The crowd, feeling blood in the water, will no doubt be amped up and ready to go for Friday’s 2nd game.