The Buffalo Sabres were going to need big performances to swing momentum back into their favor and tie this series up with the Montreal Canadiens. On Tuesday night, that is exactly what happened as the Sabres were able to secure a 3-2 win and now head back to Buffalo with a tied series.
When looking back at Game 4, these were some of the performances that really stood out, helping propel the Sabres to the much-needed road win against the Canadiens.
Zach Benson
Zach Benson has been one of the most consistent players the Buffalo Sabres have had in these playoffs. He has been able to do that with his hustle and ability to never give up on a play.
That was one of the reasons that the Sabres moved Benson to the top power play unit and it paid off in a big way with the deciding goal in Game 4. It was an incredible play where he was able to control the puck with his skate to get it on his stick right in front of the net and then backhand the shot past Jakub Dobes.
Of course Benny scored, today's his birthday! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/LmeQvGqVNJ
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 13, 2026
It was a great way for the Sabres' forward to celebrate his birthday and he now has three goals in the past five games. It seems whatever the Sabres need in that moment during these playoffs, Benson has been able to deliver that.
Mattias Samuelsson
Zach Benson had the last goal of the night but Mattias Samuelsson had the first to help give the Sabres an early lead. The goal was absolutely important but it was what Samuelsson was able to do in the defensive end that was just as important.
The Sabres had issues with penalties all night and it resulted in the Canadiens having seven power play chances in Game 4. While they did convert one of those chances, it could have been much worse if it wasn't for the penalty kill of the Sabres and Samuelsson was a big part of that.
He finished the game with over seven minutes of ice time in short-handed situations, and when he was on the ice, the Canadiens were only able to get five shots on goal, according to Natural Stat Trick. One of the reasons for that was Samuelsson's ability to block shots as he finished with a team-high of six.
Konsta Helenius
The Buffalo Sabres took a risk and had Konsta Helenius in the lineup for his first career playoff game. It is tough to know how a rookie might respond, making his NHL debut on the road in that environment of the Bell Centre.
However, Helenius did better than probably anyone could have expected, as he provided a spark, and it was clear when he was on the ice. He was making plays up and down the ice, and being in the center of Jack Quinn and Jason Zucker helped them have their best games of the playoffs.
He would finish the game with around 13 minutes of ice time and had three shots while winning 66% of his faceoffs, which is something the Sabres desperately needed help with. The advanced analytics by Natural Stat Trick also highlight the impact he made as that line accounted for eight of the nine high-danger chances the Sabres had in 5v5 situations and an xGF % of 90.57%.
The Sabres gambled putting a rookie in that situation in a game they desperately needed to win, but it was the right call. He should be in the lineup moving forward and hopefully can continue to make the same impact he did in Game 4.
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