Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracketplayHow the Sabres can win Game 7 (1:32)Greg Wyshynski gives his keys for the Sabres in their Game 7 matchup with the Canadiens. (1:32)ESPN staffMay 18, 2026, 07:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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Three of the four spots in the conference finals round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs have been secured:
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The Carolina Hurricanes earned the first spot on May 9 with a sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers.
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The Colorado Avalanche were next with a 4-1 series win that closed Wednesday over the Minnesota Wild.
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The Vegas Golden Knights earned a 4-2 series win against the Anaheim Ducks, finishing things off Thursday.
After a dominant performance in Game 6 on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres forced a Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens in Western New York on Monday night (7:30 ET, ESPN).
Here’s a look at where everything stands heading into Monday’s clash, including highlights from Saturday’s game and updated playoff stat leaders.
Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Conn Smythe Watch
Second-round picks
Offseason guide for eliminated teams
Monday’s schedule
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
Game 7, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) | Series tied 3-3
This is not the first time either team has been in a Game 7, but one of the clubs has a bit more experience than the other. This will be the Sabres’ eighth Game 7 in franchise history, and they have gone 1-6 in the previous seven (1-1 at home). The Canadiens have played 25 Game 7s in franchise history, and they’ve gone 16-9; eight of those 16 wins were on the road, which is the most in NHL history.
Buffalo’s eight goals in Game 6 were tied for the second most in franchise playoff history; its record is nine, scored in the 1992 division semifinals against the Boston Bruins.
This is the second straight series in which the Canadiens had a chance to win on home ice in Game 6, and failed to do so. In Round 1, they won 2-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7.
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Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin had five points in Game 6, becoming the first defenseman in Stanley Cup playoff history to score five points when facing elimination.
Tage Thompson had a goal and three assists, extending his multipoint road streak this postseason to four games. He is the first player in Sabres history — and first American in NHL history — to have such a streak.
With goals in Games 5 and 6, Konsta Helenius became the third player in Sabres history to score goals in consecutive playoff games at age 20 or younger; he joined Pierre Turgeon (1989), Alan Haworth (1981, two such streaks) and Danny Gare (1975, two such streaks).
Ivan Demidov had a power-play goal in Game 6, becoming the second-youngest Montreal player (20 years, 157 days) to score a goal in a potential series-clinching game, behind Henri Richard (20 years, 27 days in the 1956 playoffs).
Lane Hutson had an assist in defeat, becoming the first Montreal defenseman since P.K. Subban in 2014 to record seven points in a single series.
With only one point in his first eight games of the postseason, Montreal’s Jake Evans is now on a five-game point streak with seven points total in the quintet of contests.
After stellar performances throughout the playoffs thus far, Montreal’s Jakub Dobes was pulled after giving up six goals on 33 shots, leading to the playoff debut for 21-year-old Florida native Jacob Fowler.
Saturday’s scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres 8, Montreal Canadiens 3
Series tied 3-3
An early goal by Dahlin made it seem as if this would be the Sabres’ night; it would eventually, but not before some wild momentum swings. Sixty-eight seconds after Dahlin’s tally, Arber Xhekaj scored for the Canadiens, and the Habs followed that up with two more quick ones — from Demidov and Evans — at which point Sabres coach Lindy Ruff chose to pull goaltender Alex Lyon and replace him with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
That switch in net appeared to settle down Buffalo, and Jason Zucker scored a power-play goal minutes later to pull the Sabres back to within one. From then on, it was all Buffalo; the Sabres scored three goals in the second (Zach Benson, Jack Quinn and Helenius), and another three in the third (Quinn, Thompson and Zach Metsa) in an emphatic victory to send the series back to Buffalo for a climactic Game 7. Full recap
Playoff scoring leaders
PlayerGPGAP1. Mitch Marner, F, Golden Knights
Click here for full list of stats leaders.
Playoff goaltending leaders
PlayerGPWGAASV%1. Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes
Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.
Stanley Cup playoff bracket
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