Game 7.
The two greatest words in sports. Those words together are so great that they earned an entire series on Prime Video.
And this Buffalo Sabres team is about to contest a Game 7 for the first time since 2011. That particular Game 7 saw Buffalo lose 5-2 against the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Philadelphia Flyers, in what was their last postseason game before a 14-year postseason drought.
While the Sabres had a 3-2 series lead heading into the final two games of that Flyers series, the first of which was at home, they trailed 3-2 heading towards a Game 6 at the Bell Centre. After surviving another hostile road game, the Sabres head home with a chance to play the reverse card 15 years later, though against a different opponent.
That said, this Montreal Canadiens team has already contested two Game 7's since Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield cemented themselves as the franchise's latest cornerstones. The first, in 2021, saw them complete a series comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs en route to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1993. Their most recent Game 7 took place during this postseason when the Habs got completely overwhelmed in the shots on goal department yet scraped a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Habs know how this ordeal goes, and they're more than prepared to do it again with a trip to the Conference Finals on the line. Goaltender Jakub Dobes is 5-0 following a loss in this postseason, while the Habs have scored five goals or more in each of their three wins in this series; two of those three wins came following a loss.
But Buffalo might just have the turned the tide; not necessarily as a collective, but with regard to the runs of form experienced by several key players. And the resulting 8-3 win in Game 6 might very well have rejuvenated the Sabres as they head towards Monday night.
So, what will win out, Buffalo's momentum or Montreal's Game 7 experience?
Cold, calm, collected, and surgical
Those are words to describe forward Konsta Helenius' emergence as part of this Sabres roster. The Finland native made his debut in Game 4 of the series and scored in each of the last two games. The first came as part of a three-goal burst to start Game 5, while the second acted as an insurance goal in Buffalo's run of seven unanswered goals in Game 6.
Helenius has thrived alongside forwards Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn in his three postseason games. All three forwards have recorded points in each of their last three games, making the Zucker - Helenius - Quinn line one of the more dangerous combinations constructed by head coach Lindy Ruff.
If I were Ruff, I would consider putting this line out to start Game 7 in an effort to set the offensive tempo and put early pressure on Dobes, who was pulled during Game 6. Doing so might not necessarily change Montreal's offensive output, but it could help to further shake the confidence of the young goaltender, something that could play in Buffalo's favor later in the game.
Buffalo's defense will also be key in Game 7 success
We all know about captain Rasmus Dahlin's success in Game 6, where he scored a goal and recorded four assists, but he's also enjoying a four-game point streak. His run has put him in a tie with the likes of the Habs' Lane Hutson and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon for sixth in the NHL in postseason points.
But it won't just be Dahlin that decides whether the Sabres' defense can continue to support the offense in the scoring department. Mattias Samuelsson is putting his own point-scoring streak together, with points in each of his last three games dating back to Game 4.
Besides the two top defenseman, rookie Zach Metsa scored in his playoff debut on Saturday, while Bowen Byram recorded an assist on Zach Benson's game-tying goal in the same contest.
Can the Sabres put it all together once again?
Two of the three seven-game series' in last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs saw a team lose three of the first six games by at least three goals.
Each team to do so went on to win Game 7. The Dallas Stars lost Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche 5-1 before losing Game 4 and Game 6 by respective 4-0 and 7-4 scorelines. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets dropped Game 3 of their series against the St Louis Blues in a 7-2 decision before losing Game 4 and Game 6 by respective 5-1 and 5-2 scores. The Stars won Game 7 4-2, while the Jets defeated the Blues 4-3 in double overtime.
Buffalo followed that same path to Game 7. The Sabres lost Game 2 and Game 3 by four goals each, and dropped Game 5, 6-3. If the Sabres were to win Game 7, they would be the third team of the last five seven-game series winners (including the Habs) to win a round after losing three games by at least three goals.
It's also worth noting that four of Buffalo's five playoff losses have seen them either lose by at least three goals or trail at any point in the game by such a margin. The Sabres are 3-1 in playoff games following such a defeat, while finishing 8-7 in such contests during the regular season. That speaks volumes to the Sabres' ability to effectively rally from defeats and turn their form around.
It remains to be seen if the Sabres can prevent a sixth consecutive bounce-back effort from Dobes, but the fact that young stars and veterans alike contributed to the resurrection of Buffalo's season puts the team in a very comfortable position to do so.
And if the team can do it on Monday, they'll have plenty more momentum behind them as they enter what would be their first Conference Finals berth since 2007.
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