BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� Alex Newhook had two goals, again providing Montreal with some much-needed secondary scoring, and the Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 on Friday night to even their second-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Nick Suzuki, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Canadiens. Rookie goalie Jakub Dobes made 27 saves, and Montreal extended its trend of alternating wins and losses after doing so in a seven-game first-round series win over Tampa Bay.
Montreal advanced to the second round on Newhook’s game-winner 11:07 into the third period . Meantime, the Canadiens’ top offensive threats continue to struggle. Cole Caufield extended his point drought to five games, while Juraj Slafkovsky has one assist in his past eight outings.
鈥淚 think as a group we knew we needed a big effort tonight, a bounce-back, a bounce-forward game,鈥� said Newhook, who gave the team a pregame boost with an energetic reading of the starting lineup. 鈥淲hen you get the lineup read you just try to supply some energy there early and just try and carry that into the game.鈥�
Zach Benson scored for Buffalo, but Alex Lyon allowed four goals on 27 shots. He previously allowed seven goals in six-plus appearances since replacing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was was pulled after two periods in a 4-2 loss to Boston in Game 2 of their first-round series.
to Montreal for Game 3 on Sunday night.
It鈥檒l be the Canadiens’ first trip home after being on the road since traveling to Tampa Bay last weekend. The team stayed in Florida for two days before flying directly to Buffalo on Tuesday.
The Sabres dropped to 2-3 at home this postseason, but they won all three games 鈥� including the Game 6 series clincher 鈥� at Boston.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first period of Game 1, Montreal flipped the script.
Peyton Krebs鈥� turnover in Buffalo鈥檚 zone led to Newhook scoring at 1:36 by sneaking a shot under Lyon鈥檚 blocker arm. Matheson scored 2:51 later by floating in a shot from the left point that beat Lyon over his right shoulder.
鈥淎wful game. Not acceptable,鈥� Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. 鈥淭hey wanted to compete the first 10 (minutes), and then that鈥檚 what kind of set the tone for the whole game. It鈥檚 hard to come back, especially in the playoffs, when an opponent is up two. So, can鈥檛 happen.鈥�
Dobes said the difference between Games 1 and 2 was the Canadiens’ ability to adjust to a much faster opponent in Buffalo after a grueling, tight-checking series against the defensive-minded Lightning.
鈥淵ou play Game 7, I feel like we didn鈥檛 have much chance to prepare and kind of settle everything together and reset our minds,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel like we adjusted today really well. And yeah, I feel we catch a breath in the series. And I feel that we are ready to play our hockey and compete against the team for the rest of the series.鈥�
Buffalo鈥檚 power play came up empty on five chances after going . The Sabres have converted just three of 32 power-play opportunities this postseason.
Newhook鈥檚 second goal, scored 4:47 into the second period, came four seconds after the Sabres’ power play failed to register a shot with Carrier off for hooking.
Carrier鈥檚 goal 3:54 into the third was emblematic of Buffalo’s evening. With the Sabres buzzing the Montreal net, Tage Thompson kept the puck in at the right point only to lose his balance and spin down to the ice. Carrier picked up the loose puck and scored to put Montreal up 4-1.
Benson whiffed on a tip-in chance two minutes later. In the first period, Buffalo鈥檚 Alex Tuch had the puck roll off his stick while attempting a shot breaking up the right wing, and Jack Quinn shot over the top of the net after being set up alone in the slot.
鈥淭rying to chase the game, try and force plays that aren鈥檛 there, and just wasn鈥檛 executing,鈥� Thompson said. 鈥淚 think everything I touched turned into disaster tonight. So, tough one. Got to be better. It鈥檚 as simple as just flush that one, move on.鈥�
Thompson then gave a blunt response when asked if he was playing with an injury by saying: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 any of your business.鈥�
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