The Canadiens had a chance to close this out at home Saturday and instead got run out of their own building. Buffalo scored 7 unanswered, won 8-3, and dragged this thing back to KeyBank for a Game 7. Now Montreal has to flush a franchise-first humiliation — per multiple reports, it was the first time in Habs history they blew a multi-goal lead in a potential series-clincher at home — and go win a road game 24 hours after taking the worst loss of their spring.
Buffalo's goalie situation is the subplot worth tracking. Alex Lyon got yanked in Game 6 after 3 goals on 4 shots, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen came in and stopped all 18 he saw. Don Granato hasn't officially named a starter, but the math is doing it for him. The Sabres also don't typically change their skater group after a win, so expect the same 18 that hung a crooked number in Montreal.
- Injured ReservePatrik Laine RW — Laine (abdomen) is practicing Saturday in a non-contact jersey, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
- Injured ReserveJiri Kulich C — Kulich (ear) has been improving but will likely miss the rest of the regular season, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports Friday.
- Injured ReserveJustin Danforth RW — Danforth (lower body) is trending toward a post-Olympic return to action, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports Monday.
- OutNoah Ostlund C — Ostlund (lower body) isn't expected to be available to play in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News on Sunday.
Pinnacle has Buffalo at -119 with a fair-probability read of 52.8% — basically a coin flip with a slight home tilt. The total sits at 5.5, which is somehow both reasonable and laughable after Game 6 produced 11 goals on its own. If you trust the regression, the under makes sense. If you trust your eyes, these two teams are allergic to defense right now.
The Habs have lost in this round before and they've responded before — last 5 reads W-W-L-W-L, so they've shown they can bounce. The question is whether the legs and the heads come with them on a quick turnaround. Buffalo, meanwhile, is playing with a year's worth of pressure flipped to the other bench. They were dead 3-2 down, then dropped 8 on the road. Momentum isn't a stat, but if it were, it'd be wearing royal blue.
Winner draws the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Loser spends June reading takes about what went wrong. Drop the puck.