The wait is finally over for Buffalo hockey fans—the Sabres are back in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in 19 years, and they're set to host the Montreal Canadiens in what promises to be an electrifying Game 1 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
This series carries heavy stakes for Canada, as Montreal stands as the country's last hope for its first Stanley Cup champion since 1993—the very year the Canadiens last hoisted the trophy. It's the eighth all-time playoff meeting between these two storied franchises, and their first since 1998. Montreal holds a 4-3 edge in those previous matchups, but history is just the opening act here.
What makes this clash truly special is the head-to-head battle between the NHL's top American goal-scorers over the past two seasons: Montreal's Cole Caufield with 88 goals and Buffalo's Tage Thompson with 84. These two sharpshooters are poised to light up the scoreboard and keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Montreal enters Game 1 riding the high of a dramatic first-round victory over Tampa Bay, capped by a stunning 2-1 Game 7 win on the road—despite registering just NINE shots on goal. That's the second-lowest shot total in a playoff game since official tracking began in 1959-60, and the lowest ever for a winning team. All seven games of that series were decided by a single goal, a feat accomplished only three times in Stanley Cup playoff history and not seen since Rangers-Capitals in 2015.
Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes has been a revelation for the Canadiens, becoming just the fifth rookie netminder in franchise history to win a Game 7—and the first since Carey Price in 2008. He's a perfect 3-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average in three career starts against Buffalo, giving Montreal a steady presence between the pipes.
Defensively, the Canadiens were the stingiest team in the first round, allowing just 2.29 goals per game and a league-low 22.3 shots per game. But here's the twist: Buffalo's offense ranked fifth in the NHL during the regular season at 3.45 goals per game, just behind Tampa Bay's fourth-ranked attack at 3.49. The Sabres have the firepower to test Montreal's defense in ways the Lightning couldn't.
One concern for Montreal is the sudden cold streak of former No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, who exploded for a hat trick—all on the power play—in Game 1 against Tampa Bay but went scoreless over the final six games. Even superstar Caufield managed just one goal in that series. If the Canadiens' top guns can rediscover their scoring touch, this series could go the distance.
Expect a fabulous, hard-fought battle that very well might stretch to seven games. For Buffalo, this is a moment 19 years in the making—and they have the talent to capitalize on home ice.