Overview
- The Sabres beat the Canadiens 4-2 and the Ducks topped the Golden Knights 3-1 on Wednesday, leaving Buffalo up 1-0 and the Anaheim–Vegas series tied 1-1.
- Buffalo’s power play, 1-for-24 in Round 1, went 2-for-3 as Alex Lyon made 26 saves, while Montreal’s Jakub Dobes allowed four goals on 16 shots.
- Zach Benson logged two assists, Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist, and Bowen Byram’s power-play strike was his fourth of the playoffs, tying the Sabres’ single-postseason mark for a defenseman.
- Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots and lost a shutout with 5.6 seconds left as Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson and Jansen Harkins scored, with Vegas’ Carter Hart making 25 saves.
- Next up Friday: Buffalo hosts Game 2 and Anaheim hosts Game 3, with Montreal seeking a sharper even-strength push after a long seven-game opener and the Ducks riding youth and Jackson LaCombe’s playoff-leading nine assists among defensemen.