What a night for Zach Benson. On his 21st birthday, the young forward delivered the game-winning goal in the third period to help the Buffalo Sabres even their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Montreal Canadiens with a 3-2 victory in Game 4.
The pivotal moment came at 4:41 of the third period. Benson received a pass in the slot from Josh Doan, calmly kicked the puck onto his stick, and fired a backhander past Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes. The play unfolded with Montreal's Jake Evans serving a penalty for holding Peyton Krebs, giving Buffalo the power-play opportunity they needed.
Game 5 shifts back to Buffalo on Thursday night, with Game 6 scheduled for Saturday in Montreal. The winner of this series will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final—a team that has been dominant so far, sweeping both of their previous series.
For the Sabres, the win was a team effort. Tage Thompson tied the game in the second period with a bit of luck—his dump-in from beyond center ice deflected off the glass, bounced to the crease, and went in off Dobes' right leg. Thompson also added an assist on the night. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring early, while Josh Doan contributed two assists to go with his key setup on the game-winner.
Buffalo made a notable change in net, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replacing Alex Lyon after the Sabres dropped Games 2 and 3. Luukkonen turned in a solid performance, stopping 28 shots in his first action since being pulled during a Game 2 loss to Boston in the first round.
Montreal got goals from Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield, while Dobes made 19 saves in the losing effort. Newhook struck first for the Canadiens, tying the game at 1 late in the first period with his fifth goal of the series and sixth of the playoffs. Caufield then gave Montreal the lead early in the second, but the Sabres battled back.
The Canadiens had a golden opportunity to extend their lead when Bowen Byram was called for high-sticking late in the second period, but Montreal couldn't capitalize on the four-minute power play. The Canadiens finished 1-for-7 with the man advantage.
Buffalo appeared to take a 2-0 lead early in the first period when a video review confirmed Jack Quinn's shot had crossed the goal line inside Dobes' glove. However, Montreal successfully challenged the play for goalie interference on Konsta Helenius, wiping the goal off the board. The Sabres didn't let the setback rattle them, and Benson's birthday heroics ensured the series is now tied and ready for a thrilling finish.