The Buffalo Sabres skyrocketed up the NHL standings with a relentless forecheck, immense backchecking pressure, timely finishing and great goaltending. It's a combination of factors that allowed them to emerge as the league's best team since early December.
They've watched the Montreal Canadiens play an Uno reverse card over the past two games of the Atlantic Division rivals' second-round series in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Habs have put constant pressure on the Sabres, who scored a 4-2 win in Game 1, in all three zones and the results have been extremely troubling for Buffalo, which lost the last two contests by a combined score of 11-3. The games have looked that lopsided, too. It's no fluke.
Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram admitted they've struggled to find a solution to slow down the in-form Canadiens, who grabbed a 2-1 series lead in convincing fashion Sunday night.
"We're just letting them get to their game," Byram told reporters. "They're a good team. When we get to our game we're a really good team, too. We have to push to get on top of them, track and get above their forwards. They’re a good team and when they get to their game, they're hard to slow down."
You can count on one hand the number of times Buffalo was comprehensively outplayed during a 59-game run from Dec. 9 against the Edmonton Oilers through the club's first-round triumph over the Boston Bruins. That's why it won 43 of those contests.
It's now happened twice in a row, and the Sabres weren't remotely competitive in Sunday's shellacking.
"Lots of mistakes. You don't lose games 6-2 without mistakes," Byram said. "Lost coverage. They outworked us."
Now the pressure falls on Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff, a Jack Adams Award finalist for the NHL's Coach of the Year trophy, to figure out a solution. And fast.
Does he turn back to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen between the pipes? Alex Lyon hasn't been at fault in the two losses, but sometimes a goalie change serves as a wake-up call to the rest of the roster.
Or perhaps it's time for Ruff to shake up his forward lines. Aside from Zach Benson and Josh Doan, nobody else up front has made much of an impact against the Habs. The trio of Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn has gone silent after a terrific stretch coming out of February's Olympic break.
The Sabres could also attempt the "break glass in case of emergency" option: Putting top prospect Konsta Helenius, a member of their "Black Aces" practice squad, in the lineup and burning the first year of his entry-level contract in hopes he can bring some juice.
Maybe Ruff will decide on none of the above. This is the group that won the Atlantic Division title and finished second in the Eastern Conference. Yes, they've been dominated in back-to-back games, but sometimes it's best to ride the horses that got you here.
The longtime NHL coach has showcased a perfect read on his players all season. Now it's time to see whether he can push the right buttons one more time.
Meanwhile, let's check out the latest edition of our Sabres playoff player grades series after Montreal skated circles around Buffalo on Sunday night.
Buffalo Sabres face imminent danger of watching their season slip away after Game 3 dominance by the Montreal Canadiens
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Josh Doan | 8 |
Zach Benson | 7.5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 7 |
Tage Thompson | 7 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 6.5 |
Josh Norris | 6 |
Owen Power | 5.5 |
Conor Timmins | 4.5 |
Logan Stanley | 4.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 4 |
Alex Tuch | 4 |
Bowen Byram | 3.5 |
Alex Lyon | 3.5 |
Jack Quinn | 3 |
Beck Malenstyn | 3 |
Peyton Krebs | 3 |
Jason Zucker | 2.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 2 |
Sam Carrick | 2 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Josh Doan
The few moments the Sabres have taken control of the game the last two outings typically came when Doan and Benson were on the ice together. Their compete level never wavers, and they continued to battle long after their teammates appeared resigned to defeat Sunday night.
Doan finished Game 3 with four shots on goal, which tied Alex Tuch for the team lead, two hits and an even rating, which is an accomplishment on a night where 11 of the team's 18 skaters were a minus. (Nobody was a plus.) He also tallied an assist on Rasmus Dahlin's second-round power-play goal.
Although Doan and Benson have been a force together, Ruff may have little choice beyond splitting them up in Game 4 and beyond in an effort to have more than one effective forward line. The Sabres' scoring depth, a strength all season, has gone dormant in this series.
The 24-year-old Arizona State product didn't look out of place during stints on the first line throughout the campaign, and that could become a permanent home in the future if Tuch departs in free agency.
Sabres quick hits
- Dahlin and Tage Thompson each tallied two points, but their poor play defensively level the duo's overall impact well below its usual standard.
- Lyon allowed five goals on 36 shots and, while he did overplay himself out of position a few times, Montreal was creating endless high-danger chances, which made his life difficult.
- Peyton Krebs was playing some of the best hockey of his career entering this series but he's gone totally invisible.
- Jason Zucker played less than seven minutes but Ruff insisted it was just based on the flow of the game, not an injury or benching.
- Sam Carrick returned from an extended absence, so expectations were modest, but he lost six of eight faceoffs, which was a problem for Buffalo.
- The Sabres will be desperately searching for a bounce-back performance in Game 4 on Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET) at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
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