The decisive moment
The Montreal Canadiens turned a one-goal margin into a three-goal cushion late, outlasting the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 on Tuesday in a 2025-26 season NHL Playoffs clash. Captain Nick Suzuki anchored the effort with a goal and two assists, while rookie sensation Ivan Demidov tacked on a goal and a helper to put the game out of reach.
By the numbers
- Final score: Montreal 6, Buffalo 3
- Nick Suzuki: 1 goal, 2 assists (3 points)
- Ivan Demidov: 1 goal, 1 assist (2 points)
- Juraj Slafkovsky: 3 assists
- Josh Anderson: 1 goal
- Combined scoring: 9 goals
- Margin of victory: 3 goals
Slafkovsky's three-assist performance was the quiet engine of the night, with the young winger setting up linemates on multiple high-danger looks. Montreal's top line accounted for the bulk of the offense in a game that stayed within reach until the final minutes.
What it means
The win underscores the chemistry building among Montreal's young core, with Suzuki, Demidov, and Slafkovsky all factoring into the scoresheet. For Buffalo, the loss stings on a night when the Sabres were already navigating without forwards Noah Ostlund (lower body), Jiri Kulich (ear), and Justin Danforth (lower body), all sidelined by injury. The depth chart was tested, and Buffalo couldn't find an answer for Montreal's top-six firepower.
What to watch next
Montreal will look to ride the momentum of its top line and Demidov's continued emergence into the next matchup of this playoff series. Buffalo, meanwhile, faces a tougher path with three forwards on the shelf and will need contributions from deeper in the lineup to even the ledger.