The Buffalo Sabres' power play went from ice cold to red hot in the blink of an eye, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

After managing just one goal on 24 man-advantage opportunities in their six-game first-round series against Boston—a dismal 4.2% conversion rate that ranks among the worst in playoff history since 1978—the Sabres flipped the script in emphatic fashion. In their 4-2 victory over Montreal to open the second round, Buffalo's power play clicked at a 66.7% clip, going 2-for-3 and proving to be the difference-maker.

"Maybe keep asking, if we're going to keep scoring now," forward Ryan McLeod joked with reporters after the game. "Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't. But it's a process of building it and getting your look. I think we got them tonight."

McLeod wasn't just talking—he was at the heart of the turnaround. After the top unit, featuring stars Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, struggled to establish offensive-zone pressure, the second unit stepped up and delivered when it mattered most.

With the game tied 1-1 late in the first period, Josh Doan sparked the breakthrough. Winning a puck battle in front of the Canadiens' net, Doan pushed the puck into open space, where Zach Benson quickly fed a pass through the crease to McLeod, who buried it to put Buffalo ahead 2-0 at 13:26. It was the kind of gritty, opportunistic play that had been missing against Boston.

McLeod turned playmaker early in the second period, batting down defenseman Mike Matheson's clearing attempt before chasing down the puck and feeding Bowen Byram, who scored from between the circles to extend the lead to 4-1. The sequence showcased the patience and puck retrieval that had been lacking in the previous series.

"It was hit or miss throughout the last couple of games there, and tonight was one of those nights where we had to get more pucks back in retrievals," Doan said. "We got them tonight."

The Sabres' power-play struggles weren't limited to the playoffs—they had gone 0-for-22 over the final seven regular-season games. But in a sport where momentum can shift in an instant, Buffalo proved that a fresh series and a new opponent can be all it takes to rediscover their rhythm. For a team that's now one win away from seizing control of the series, the timing couldn't be more perfect.