Here at Last Word On Hockey, we will preview and review the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in it’s entirety. We will provide three in-depth articles per series until one team is finally crowned the 2026 Stanley Cup Champions. In this series preview, we feature the Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are coming off their first series win since the 2006-07 season after defeating the Boston Bruins in six games. The Canadiens are moving on for the first time since 2021, after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. These two teams haven’t met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1998. The Sabres swept the Canadiens in that series in four straight games.
Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Second Round Stanley Cup Playoff Series Preview
Season Series
The Canadiens and Sabres met four times during the regular season, and the teams split the season series 2-2. Each game ended in the victor winning by a two-goal margin, with a total of 26 goals scored in four games: 13 for Montreal and 13 for Buffalo. The two teams couldn’t have been any closer during the regular season series, and we expect much of the same in the playoffs.
Captain Nick Suzuki led the charge for the Canadiens during the season series, scoring two goals and eight points in four games. Cole Caufield shone during the regular season matchup as well, scoring four goals and six points. Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson each had four points apiece.
On the Buffalo side of things, it was Tage Thompson leading the way. Thompson scored three goals and seven points in the four games, while Rasmus Dahlin and Zach Benson each had three points.
The goaltending duo that we should expect in this series was dominated by Jakub Dobes in the season series. Dobes finished with a 2-0 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. Alex Lyon went 0-2 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. He will need to be better during the playoff series if the Sabres have any chance to come out victorious.
Goaltending Matchup
Both goaltenders are coming into this series hot. For the Canadiens, Dobes played all seven games against the Lightning. He went 4-1-2 with a goals-against average of 2.03 and a save percentage of .923. However, it was his play to close out the series that was even more spectacular. In the final three games of the series, Dobes posted a goals-against average of 1.27 and a save percentage of .961. His play was key to the success of the Canadiens and will be during this series as well.
Not to be outdone, Alex Lyon was next to unbeatable for the Sabres after taking over the starting role in Game 3. Lyon posted a 3-1 record with a goals-against average of 1.14 and a save percentage of .955. His play was key for the Sabres in taking down the Bruins, and they’ll need him to keep this up, facing an equally hot goaltender at the other end.
Canadiens Keys to Victory
For the Canadiens, they need their top line to produce in this series. They managed to squeeze by the Tampa Bay Lightning with the top line being rather quiet; however, that’s a dangerous game to play for an entire playoff run. Though it’s nice to get depth scoring, as it’s always crucial come playoff time, you still need your top line to play as such. Caufield was limited to just one goal during their first-round match-up, as was Suzuki, though it was a crucial one. Slafkovsky scored a hat-trick in Game 1, but was held off the score sheet for the remainder of the series. But if the Canadiens have any chance of winning this series, they need Caufield, Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky to be their top players.
The Canadiens will also need to find a way to shut down the Sabres’ top line. Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson combined for eight goals and 20 points in six games against the Bruins. They drove the offence for the Sabres. If the Canadiens can find a way to limit their scoring chances, they should be able to control this series. Dobson should play a key role for the Canadiens in this series, after missing all but Game 7 in the first series.
Sabres Keys to Victory
For the Sabres, it’s the opposite. As mentioned, the Sabres’ top line was outstanding in their first-round matchup against the Bruins. They scored more goals than the rest of the Sabres forwards combined in the first six games. If the top line gets shut down by the Canadiens, they’re going to need someone else to step up. Players like Zach Benson and Josh Doan could become crucial to the Sabres’ success in this series. The depth will certainly be tested in this series, and the Sabres will need them to find a way to contribute offensively if they want to win this series. Especially with how well Dobes is playing.
The Sabres will also need to stay disciplined in this series. The Canadiens ran one of the best power plays in the entire league in the regular season, and they’re coming into this series scoring on 19% of their chances in the first round. The Sabres are going to want to limit their chances on the power play, as Montreal has the firepower to put them away early if they can’t stay out of the box.
Prediction
We expect this series to be tightly contested just like the season series between the two clubs. The Sabres are a little more rested than the Canadiens at this point; however, the Canadiens are carrying some major momentum coming off a massive Game 7 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadiens have a major boost, as mentioned for this series, as Dobson is now healthy after missing all but Game 7 in the first series. We believe the Canadiens will find a way to limit the scoring chances of the Sabres’ top line, while the top line of the Canadiens finds a way to dictate this series and lead the Canadiens to victory.
Series Prediction: Canadiens win 4-2
Main Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
