Game 4 is always a big swing game in any series. Montreal had the chance to grab a 3-1 series lead and put Buffalo against the ropes. Buffalo had a chance to take back home ice advantage and put doubt into the hyped-up Montreal Canadiens.
The story of this game was penalties and chaos. Buffalo had trouble staying out of the box with 7 penalties, one being a double minor. Montreal had every chance to put this series on ice.
Period 1
This game had great pace off the hop. Buffalo looked like a different team. Montreal was fighting back and keeping a lot to the outside but didn't look connected. Samuelsson ended up blocking a shot and got the puck quickly up the ice. After the block, Samuelsson got on his horse and joined in as the 4th man in. Beautiful passing play from the Sabres, Josh Norris found the galloping Samuelsson backdoor for a wide open net. 1-0 Buffalo.
Moments later the crazy pace continued as Jack Quinn found the back of Dobes' glove, but the glove was behind the line on review. Montreal challenged for goalie interference and was successful, wiping Quinn's first goal off the board and swinging momentum towards the Canadiens.
After sloppy play from Samuelsson, Jake Evans was able to find Alex Newhook, who sent the Bell Centre into a frenzy. Tied at 1-1. After this goal it was a parade to the box, with Montreal taking 2 penalties and Buffalo taking 4 penalties. The last was a weak cross-check from Tage Thompson on Guhle after the whistle, sending Montreal to the powerplay with less than 2 minutes left in the period.
Cole Caufield, ignited from his goal in Game 3, showed the league why he scored 51 goals this season. Great hands in tight opened up Luukkonen and he found the five hole with 13 seconds left in the 1st. Montreal takes the late lead on the powerplay.
Period 2
Period 2 started almost the same way for the Sabres as Bowen Byram took a penalty for high sticking, one that didn't cost them. Through 24 minutes of total time, Buffalo had already spent 10 minutes shorthanded. They were hanging on and lucky not to be down further, thanks to some great saves from Luukkonen.
Alexandre Carrier seemed like he wanted to give one back to Buffalo, taking his own high sticking penalty on Rasmus Dahlin, a double minor as Dahlin was cut. With the two teams four-on-four, Tage Thompson went to dump the puck in from centre ice. It clipped off the Zamboni door and caromed straight to the back of the net. One of the wildest bounces you will ever see in playoff hockey, and just like that, Buffalo was back on level terms.
Dahlin was playing angry, but it wasn't the best idea. He took down Caufield as he drove the net, nowhere near the puck, leading to Montreal's 6th powerplay of the game. Momentum was with Montreal, but the Sabres penalty kill bailed out their captain with a solid kill that kept chances to the outside. Byram would then take a double minor for high sticking at the end of the period, sending Montreal's lethal powerplay back to work. Dahlin had 4 penalty minutes and Byram had 6 in just under 40 minutes of play. Buffalo made it to intermission, but still had 2:30 of penalty kill time waiting to start the 3rd.
Period 3
Byram owes Luukkonen a drink. He made two massive saves on back-to-back Caufield one-timers, keeping Buffalo alive early in the third. Both teams tightened up defensively, neither wanting to make the critical mistake, before Jake Evans pulled down Peyton Krebs trying to get up the ice, putting the Buffalo powerplay back to work.
When they needed it most, it answered. Zach Benson is made for the playoffs. He showed off some slick skill in the slot, going forehand to backhand shelf on Dobes, giving Buffalo the lead with 16:19 left in the 3rd. The Bell Centre went quiet, and you could feel the nervous energy settling in over Montreal.
Buffalo was sound defensively from there, figured out how to play within the rules, and shut down every Montreal chance the rest of the way. One bounce changed this series, and that bounce came off a Zamboni door. Buffalo takes Game 4 in Montreal 3-2 in a hard-fought battle.
Series at 2-2
The series shifts back to Buffalo tied at 2-2, with the Sabres holding home ice advantage in what is now a best-of-3. Buffalo won more draws and held better possession throughout, they just need to stay out of the box. Sixteen minutes in penalties is playing with fire.
Montreal has been in this position before, coming back against Tampa Bay in Round 1. The Canadiens will bounce back, but they need more from Demidov. He has been invisible this series, and if he is truly one for the future, these are the moments where players make their case. Carrier has also taken 5 penalties in 4 games, 3 in Game 1 and 2 in Game 4. Both of those games ended in a Buffalo win.
We might be looking back at the Tage Thompson goal as the series difference.