Montreal Canadiens defeat Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in second-round playoff game

In Game 3 of their second‑round series, the Montreal Canadiens routed the Buffalo Sabres 6‑2, taking a 2‑1 series lead. Alex Newhook scored twice, including an empty‑netter, while Cole Caufield added a goal and an assist. Additional goals came from Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach. Goaltender Jakub Dobes made 26 saves for Montreal, and Sabres netminder Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots despite the loss.

After suffering back‑to‑back blowout defeats, Buffalo switched back to rookie goalie Jesper Luukkonen, who had started the playoffs as the team's No. 1 after a 12‑2‑1 regular‑season record. Luukkonen replaced Lyon, who had been pulled during a loss to the Boston Bruins earlier in the first round. The Sabres also made lineup adjustments, with defensive changes involving Luke Schenn and forward Konsta Helenius, while the Canadiens secured a rare consecutive‑win streak in the playoffs.

Both teams saw discipline issues: Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj was fined for punching a Sabres forward, and Canadiens forward Beck Malenstyn was also fined after a collision with goalie Dobes.