Game 5 had a slower start than previous games. Montreal and Buffalo both wanted to control possession and ease into things, and that's exactly what it looked like for the first 110 seconds. It wasn't going to last. Lightning in a bottle, the waves of momentum would swing within just 9 seconds of each other.
Jason Zucker opened the scoring just 2 minutes into the first period, the shot banking off his own leg and beating Dobes. Buffalo grabbed the early 1-0 lead, marking the third straight game Montreal had surrendered the first goal. Connor Timmins then served up a pizza that Papa John's would be proud of, and Cole Caufield made him pay at 6:31 of the first. Caufield's first 5-on-5 goal of the playoffs, and the third straight game Montreal had battled back after falling behind.
Buffalo is known as a resilient city, and this team holds true to that identity. Josh Doan answered for the Sabres at 7:45, giving Buffalo their one-goal lead back and igniting the nervous home crowd. Montreal responded even faster this time, just 9 seconds later, when Texier had a puck hit his skate in front and stunned the building. Buffalo didn't stay quiet long. Konsta Helenius buried a spin-o-rama in the slot, beating Dobes five-hole at 10:15 to put the Sabres back on top. At this point, I was just impressed Buffalo hadn't taken a penalty yet.
A storyline was quietly developing. Dobes had never played this many consecutive games, and he'd now given up 3 goals on just 4 shots. Many wondered if he'd get pulled, but he settled in, found his groove, and finished the period strong. Still, Montreal headed to the intermission down 3-2.
Second period: Montreal flips the script
The Sabres came out of the break looking like a team on a mission. Controlling play, creating in tight spaces, generating real pressure. Montreal was gripping it too hard, but they were surviving the downhill waves. Finally, the Canadiens cleared their zone and forced a bad icing on Buffalo. Off the draw, Hutson drove the net and pulled every Sabre with him, then found Anderson wide open on the back door. 3-3. Montreal had now battled back three times in just 30 minutes of hockey.
Almost immediately after, Demidov had two glorious chances in the slot and couldn't convert either. Twelve straight games without a goal, the longest drought of his young career. The puck has been finding him in the offensive zone, but the net just isn't cooperating. The script had completely flipped from the start of the period. Montreal was now the team coming downhill, and the Sabres were just trying to survive.
Demidov found himself with a third Grade-A chance of the period, this time off a cross-ice pass, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen robbed him point blank. Then Juraj Slafkovský took a high-sticking penalty, giving Buffalo the game's first power play. The Sabres took their time setting up and moved the puck well, but Montreal killed it cleanly and killed any momentum along with it.
Right out of the box, Montreal took control again. Demidov came flying down the wing, put the puck on net, and it trickled over Luukkonen's arm and stopped on the line. Jake Evans was in exactly the right place at the right time and poked it across. 4-3 Montreal. Demidov was one inch away from ending the drought.
Frustration boiled over in Buffalo. Tage Thompson, for the second time this series, took an unnecessary cross-checking penalty when the emotions got to him. Montreal didn't waste it. Fourteen seconds into the power play, Suzuki buried a one-timer in the slot. 5-3, with just 2:27 left in the second.
Three unanswered goals. The party in Buffalo was on pause.
Third period: Demidov's release
Alex Lyon replaces Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who heads to the bench after allowing 5 goals on 23 shots. Buffalo comes out hot again, but Montreal holds strong, forcing the Sabres to the outside. Demidov has been on fire all game and drives wide on Rasmus Dahlin, drawing a cross-check into Lyon that gives Montreal their second power play of the game. They are buzzing. Demidov buries his first career playoff goal on the man advantage. He has been the best Canadian on the ice all night in the offensive zone. 6-3 Montreal, just 3:22 into the third.
Sabres fans are getting restless. Montreal has scored 4 straight goals, and once this team gets that kind of momentum they are a hard team to stop. The Canadiens have the three-goal lead and they are making Buffalo carry the puck through all five skaters, suffocating any chance to generate offence. The Benson, Quinn and Doan line has been Buffalo's best unit all night. The first line needs to find another gear.
Buffalo pulls Lyon with 6:29 left in the third to try and spark something. Montreal responds with sticks in lanes, bodies on the line, and a defensive structure that refuses to break.
With 4:40 remaining, Sabres fans start heading for the exits. You can hear a mix of boos and Olé Olé Olé echoing through the building. Montreal is content to send the puck the length of the ice and run down the clock.
Hutson takes a cross-checking penalty with 3:28 left. In the ensuing scuffle, Anderson takes a slashing penalty and Byram gets called for cross-checking, setting up a late 6-on-4 for Buffalo. The Sabres get some looks but Dobes shuts the door and Montreal kills it off. By now the Montreal fans in the building outnumber the Sabres faithful. The boos get louder, the chants get stronger.
Buffalo shows some fight once the final buzzer sounds, but it is a little too late for that.
Final word
After a shaky start, Dobes stands tall. He went 1-for-4 on the opening shots but was a perfect 28-for-28 the rest of the way. Demidov looked like a man possessed and got his reward.
Montreal wins 6-3 and takes the series lead 3-2. Game 6 goes Saturday night in Montreal. The stage is set for the Canadiens to punch their ticket to the Conference Final against Carolina.