In an elimination game, teams need their stars to deliver and lead by example, and in Game 6, the Sabres certainly got that from Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. These two players combined for two goals and seven assists, but they were never going to be able to do it alone.
If the Sabres were going to secure a road win against the Montreal Canadiens, it was going to need to be a collective team effort. They were going to need some big performances from some unexpected places.
The Sabres certainly got that and these five players were the heroes in Game 6 that helped force a pivotal Game 7.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
After Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave up five goals in Game 5, it felt like the Sabres were going back to Alex Lyon for Game 6. That would end up being the case, but his night was over fairly quickly as he gave up three goals on only four shots.
The Sabres had no choice but to go back to Luukkonen, but at that point, it felt like the season was over. However, Luukkonen had other plans and was dominant down the stretch as he stopped all 18 shots he faced and was a driving force behind the comeback.
Luukkonen accomplished something that only five other goalies before him were able to do, which was to secure a win in an elimination game after coming in for the starter. The last goalie to do it was Ilya Bryzgalov for the Minnesota Wild in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
At this point, it is almost a guarantee that Luukkonen will be the starter for Game 7 and the Sabres are going to need a similar performance to the one he had on Saturday night.
Jack Quinn
One of the driving forces behind the comeback was the surprisingly effective power play unit for the Buffalo Sabres. It has been an area of concern entering this series, but it has been the deciding factor in several games, both good and bad.
On Saturday night, the Sabres got their best performance of the playoffs on the power play, converting four out of six power play chances into goals. The group would be led by Jack Quinn, who would score twice.
The fact that Quinn would score twice was shocking in itself, as he has yet to score in the playoffs, but to score twice and both be on the power play was truly unexpected. There is no question that special teams is going to be a key storyline going into Game 7, and the Sabres could use more of this from Quinn.
Konsta Helenius
Prior to Game 4, the Buffalo Sabres made the decision to get Konsta Helenius into the lineup, and at that point, it was tough to know exactly how he would respond. The former first-round pick spent most of the season in the AHL but has been the spark the Buffalo Sabres absolutely needed.
In Game 6, Helenius would score in the second period, and it came at a pivotal point in the game. The Sabres to this point had scored three straight and had momentum squarely on their side, but had only a 4-3 lead.
A goal by the Montreal Canadiens would have tied it up, and it would have been a completely game going into the third period. However, Helenius would beat Jakub Dobes to make it 5-3, and with how the game had gone to that point, two goals seemed insurmountable to overcome.
It was great to see a young rookie get playoff action, but it is no longer just a feel-good story; Helenius is making key plays to help the Sabres win in the playoffs.
Josh Norris
The Buffalo Sabres decided to finally break up the top line going into Game 6 and, more notably, move Tage Thompson to the wing. Lindy Ruff elected to put Josh Norris at center with Zach Benson on the other side, and this line would be one of the driving forces to getting the win.
Norris, in particular, excelled in one area that the Sabres have really struggled with this series, and that was in the faceoff circle. He finished the game with a win percentage of 65% on 17 faceoff attempts and was tied with Ryan McLeod for most faceoffs won in Game 6.
The Sabres' ability to win faceoffs in this game really helped them to control the game, as the rate at which they were winning allowed them to clear the puck quickly when in the defensive zone or get set up and not chase pucks when in the offensive zone.
Norris certainly helped in other areas with an assist and tied for the team-high in hits, but the Sabres are going to need another dominant performance in the faceoff circle in Game 7.
Conor Timmins
The Montreal Canadiens have been really good at making the Sabres pay when they have gone to the penalty box. It looked like it was going to be more of the same in this game, with Ivan Demidov scoring on the Canadiens' first power play of Game 6.
However, the Sabres' penalty kill unit settled down and was much better down the stretch as they did not allow a power play goal on the last two chances the Canadiens had in Game 6. One of the reasons was Conor Timmins, who led the team in short-handed ice time at a little over four minutes.
One of the things that Timmins did so well in this game, and frankly, all series, is getting into shooting lanes and blocking shots. He finished Game 6 with a team-high five blocked shots and now has 30 in the playoffs.
The Buffalo Sabres did exactly what they set out to do, and that was to secure the win so they could play a Game 7 on Monday night. However, if they hope to win the series, they are going to need similar performances from players up and down the roster on Monday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
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