MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens' playoff struggles continued Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, where they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4 of their second-round series, evening the best-of-seven matchup at 2-2. Despite holding a 2-1 lead after the first period, the Canadiens failed to score over the final 40 minutes, directing 22 shots at Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen but coming up empty. The loss marked the third time in these Stanley Cup playoffs that Montreal squandered a chance to seize control of a series on home ice, echoing patterns from their opening-round battle against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The game unfolded with familiar frustrations for Canadiens fans. Buffalo struck first in the opening period, capitalizing on a rebound that Jack Quinn converted on the lip of the crease. A lengthy video review confirmed the goal had crossed the line while in the glove of Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis then challenged the call, alleging interference by Buffalo's Konsta Helenius, who was making his playoff debut. After another extended delay—a review of the review—the challenge was upheld, nullifying Quinn's tally and keeping the score at 1-0.
Montreal responded midway through the first, with Alex Newhook tying the game at 1-1. Newhook, who has been on a hot streak, notched his fifth goal in the last three playoff games, a feat not accomplished by a Canadiens player since Yvon Lambert in 1980. Later in the period, with just 13 seconds left on a power play, Cole Caufield restored Montreal's lead at 2-1, firing a shot at 19:47. Caufield had opened the scoring chances for the Canadiens with the game's first shot in the opening minute, though the team didn't register another until 9:01.
The first period alone consumed 52 minutes due to the reviews and other stoppages, setting a deliberate pace for the 2-hour-50-minute contest. As the second period began, Buffalo evened the score at 7:00 when Tage Thompson's shot from outside the blue line took a bizarre bounce off the stanchion and deflected off Dobes's right pad into the net. Dobes, who has been plagued by unlucky bounces this season, couldn't adjust in time. "I just felt like we couldn’t find that third goal," Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said afterward. "I felt we controlled the second period but just couldn’t find that next goal. It was definitely a missed opportunity."
Montreal had a prime chance to regain the lead late in the second when Buffalo's Bowen Byram was assessed a double minor for high-sticking. The Canadiens, however, failed to capitalize, going 1-for-7 on the power play for the night. Earlier in the frame, a controversial non-call occurred when Buffalo's Conor Timmins high-sticked Canadiens forward Jake Evans in the face, drawing blood. Evans fell to the ice in pain, but no penalty was called. Cameras caught Evans on the bench, mouthing frustration to a referee: “So f—ing bad,” as blood dried on his face.
The third period proved decisive, with Buffalo's Zach Benson scoring the game-winner on a power play just 2:23 in, making it 3-2. Benson, celebrating his 21st birthday, became only the second player in Sabres history to score a playoff goal on his birthday, following Peter McNab in 1975 when he turned 23. Luukkonen, who had replaced Alex Lyon in net and entered with a 4.19 goals-against average and .825 save percentage, stood tall thereafter. He stopped 28 of 30 shots for a .933 save percentage against Montreal, including several big saves that kept his team in the game.
Defenseman Mike Matheson came close to tying it in the first when his shot rang off the crossbar, but the Canadiens couldn't convert their pressure. "I thought we played a pretty good game," Caufield said. "To see a fluke goal like (Thompson’s) go in, that’s not the bounce you want. Hockey happens. Their goalie made some big saves. That kept them in it." Despite the loss, the Canadiens outshot Buffalo overall and won the hits battle 26-23, but they struggled in faceoffs, winning just 47.5 percent.
This defeat mirrored Montreal's earlier playoff missteps. In the first round against Tampa Bay, the Canadiens led 2-1 entering Game 4 at home but lost, then failed to close out the series in Game 6 despite a 3-2 advantage, again on home ice. Now, with the series shifting to Buffalo for Game 5 on Thursday night, Montreal has relinquished its home-ice edge once more. They will need to win at least one game in western New York to advance, turning what was a potential series-clinching opportunity into a best-of-three.
Defenseman Kaiden Guhle remained optimistic postgame. “Maybe it’s a little bit of growth for us in that department,” he said regarding the team's inability to close out games. “We’re still a confident group. Nothing changes for us. We played well. There’s no point hanging our heads. Go to Buffalo and try to take one. It’s playoff hockey. You can’t look in the past.” Forward Jake Evans echoed that sentiment: “We’ve bounced back all year. We’re confident.”
St. Louis, ever the measured coach, pointed to the fine margins. “It’s a fine line, right?” he said. “They got a goal off the door there. Is that the difference? Tip your cap to their goalie. He played a good game.” Luukkonen, who hadn't played since April 21 when he allowed four goals to Boston in under 41 minutes, redeemed himself with a standout performance. His last outing had seen him pulled early, but against Montreal, he proved why Buffalo trusts its depth in net.
Statistically, the game highlighted Buffalo's defensive resilience. The Sabres blocked 27 shots, led by Mattias Samuelsson with six, Conor Timmins with five, and captain Rasmus Dahlin with four. That shot-blocking prowess drew comparisons to NFL prevent defenses, with one observer noting that if the Buffalo Bills could match it, they might have fared better against Denver in last season's divisional round. On the Canadiens' side, Caufield, Newhook, and Juraj Slafkovsky each fired five shots, while Alexandre Texier led with five hits. Mike Matheson had three giveaways, and ice time varied widely: rookie Lane Hutson logged 28:02, while Kirby Dach played just 8:51, Joe Veleno 6:42, and Arber Xhekaj a mere 3:46.
Dobes finished with an .864 save percentage, stopping 19 of 22 shots. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance, and reports indicated he was interviewed on radio during an intermission, where he reportedly praised the league's officials as "the best in the world." That claim drew skepticism amid the night's officiating quirks, including the high-stick incident and the lengthy reviews. One fan quipped that NHL refs made CFL arbiters look competent by comparison.
Buffalo's victory improved their record to 9-6 in Game 4s when trailing 2-1 in a series, and the franchise now stands 3-1 on the road under those circumstances. For Montreal, the loss underscores ongoing questions about their killer instinct in crucial moments. The team has shown resilience all season, bouncing back from deficits, but playoff hockey demands more ruthlessness. Game 6 returns to the Bell Centre on Saturday at 8 p.m., a start time dictated by television schedules that increasingly control league logistics.
Looking ahead, the Canadiens face a pivotal road test in Game 5. With the series tied, momentum could swing decisively. Montreal's young core, including Newhook's scoring surge and Caufield's persistence, offers hope, but converting opportunities will be key. Buffalo, buoyed by Benson's birthday heroics and Luukkonen's redemption, enters the next game with confidence. As the playoffs intensify, both teams know that nothing comes easy in this format, and Montreal's path to the conference finals now runs through KeyBank Center.
The broader context of the series highlights the NHL's competitive balance in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres, underdogs after a strong regular season, have shown poise in tying the series. For the Canadiens, who entered the playoffs as a surprise contender, this setback tests their maturity. Fans at the Bell Centre, numbering over 21,000, left disappointed but vocal in support, chanting for a quick rebound. As St. Louis often preaches, it's about process over outcome, but results matter most come June.