3 Takeaways from the Sabres’ 4-2 Game 1 Win Over the Canadiens – The Hockey Writers –

Since advancing to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the vibes have been immaculate for the Buffalo Sabres. It is the first time the franchise has made it this far in 19 years, squaring off against the New York Rangers in 2007.

With the also young and exciting Montreal Canadiens on the slate, the Sabres would be looking to key players in order to gain an edge. It didn’t take long for the Sabres to grab the lead and ultimately hold onto it, taking down the Canadiens 4-2 in Game 1.

The Difference-Making Line

It was talked about a lot in the opening round series against the Boston Bruins, but the line with Zach Benson and Josh Doan has been huge for the Sabres. They really started to take off in Game 3 against the Bruins and have continued to be a force ever since.

They’ve swapped centers a couple of times with Josh Norris currently serving adequately in the role. Doan and Benson, however, have been the drivers of that line and it has been the best the Sabres put on the ice on a regular basis.

Doan scored early to get things going, added an assist on the second goal of the game just under nine minutes later, and Benson contributed a pair of primary assists. The Sabres go as this line goes and they have been humming right along.

The Power Play is Fixed (Kind of)

Coming into this series, the power play was going to have to play a role if the Sabres were going to have any kind of success. After scoring just once on the power play in the Bruins series, it was nice to see the man-advantage get on the board twice against the Canadiens.

Granted, it was the second unit featuring Doan, Benson, and Ryan McLeod, but power play goals are power play goals. The first unit got some good looks throughout but just couldn’t get the puck over the goal line.

They don’t ask how, they ask how many and it was nice to see the Sabres punish the Canadiens for going to the box. If the first unit can finally get the monkey off its back and make both units formidable, the Canadiens are going to be facing a true uphill battle.

The Sabres Had the Canadiens on Their Heels

On the surface, it looks like the Sabres simply had an efficient game, scoring on four of their 16 shots. In reality, things could have gone much worse for the Canadiens if a few Sabres shots had been just an inch over one way or another.

Rasmus Dahlin hit the post on a nifty rush in the third period. Jack Quinn hit a pair of posts and feels right on the cusp of really breaking out in these playoffs. The Sabres created dangerous chances throughout the night despite what their overall shot total shows.

Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes was solid and kept the game from looking even worse on paper. The Canadiens struggled with the Sabres’ speed in transition, which led directly to a pair of goals and several other near-misses.

On to Game 2

The Sabres got a bit of good news even before the opening faceoff. It is expected that Sam Carrick will return at some point during this round as he has started practicing with the team again. Having his experience and physicality would be a nice addition to the bottom line.

The Sabres did well in this one by creating pressure with their forecheck and using their speed in transition to keep the Canadiens on their heels for long stretches. The crowd, sensing blood in the water, will no doubt be amped up and ready to go for Friday’s Game 2.