The Buffalo Sabres kept their season alive Saturday night, storming back for an 8-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series at Bell Centre. Buffalo evened the series 3-3 after overcoming an early two-goal deficit and delivering its highest-scoring game of the postseason.
Montreal came out flying, scoring on three of its first four shots to chase Sabres starting goaltender Alex Lyon just 10 minutes into the game. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen entered in relief and completely changed the momentum, stopping all 17 shots he faced the rest of the way.
The Sabres answered with seven straight goals and never looked back. Rasmus Dahlin led the offensive explosion with a goal and four assists, while Tage Thompson added four points of his own with a goal and three assists. Jack Quinn scored his first two career playoff goals and added an assist, while Jason Zucker and Zach Benson each posted a goal and an assist.
Konsta Helenius continued his strong postseason with a goal in his second straight game, and Zach Metsa scored in his playoff debut as Buffalo chased Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes for the first time this postseason.
Anthony Volpe delivers grand slam, career-high five RBI in return as Yankees sweep Rockies Special teams played a massive role in the victory. Buffalo scored four power-play goals and improved to 9-for-24 on the man advantage during the series. The Sabres also tightened things defensively late, allowing just six shots in the third period to close out the win.
The series shifts back to KeyBank Center for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.