The Montreal Canadiens are breathing a little easier—and it shows on the ice.

Just days after scraping by the Tampa Bay Lightning with a mere nine shots on goal in a nail-biting Game 7, the Canadiens stepped into the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Buffalo Sabres with a newfound sense of freedom. And while Wednesday night's Game 1 ended in a 4-2 loss, the difference in Montreal's game was unmistakable.

"I thought our top guys got more touches in space," said Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis after the game. "That's what I liked."

That word—space—is the key. Against the Lightning, Montreal's top line was smothered by Tampa Bay's elite defensive unit. But the Sabres, led by head coach Lindy Ruff, are taking a different approach. Instead of shadowing Montreal's stars, Buffalo is spreading the ice, trusting all four lines to handle any matchup.

"It's comforting when I can say that I trust every line to play against everybody," Ruff noted.

For the Canadiens, that trust translates into opportunity. St. Louis acknowledged that his players haven't seen this kind of room to operate in two weeks. And while the shots on goal improved dramatically—outshooting Buffalo—the bounces didn't fall their way. St. Louis pointed to a rough 12-minute stretch in the second period as the turning point, but remained optimistic about the bigger picture.

"I'm confident that we can play any style," he said. "I'm confident that we can play the team that's in front of us. And I'm confident that we can learn from this one and be better."

The Canadiens' first goal came on the power play, with Juraj Slafkovsky driving the net and dishing to Nick Suzuki for a tap-in. The second was a gritty rebound finish from the bottom six—proof that the depth is finding its groove too.

For fans watching the series unfold, the takeaway is clear: Montreal is adjusting, and if they can capitalize on the space Buffalo is giving them, this series could look very different in the games ahead. As St. Louis put it, the Canadiens just need to keep finding those open lanes—and finish when it counts.