The Buffalo Sabres struck first on the road as Mattias Samuelsson finished a cross-ice setup from Josh Norris at 6:32, with Zach Benson driving the net to create traffic in front of Montreal’s goaltender.
Buffalo briefly thought it had added a second goal when Jack Quinn’s attempt crossed the line, but a video review overturned the play after it was ruled that rookie Konsta Helenius interfered with Jakub Dobes during his first playoff appearance.
Montreal responded quickly, as Alex Newhook finished a sharp chance from the slot off Jake Evans’ pass from behind the net to bring the game level at 1-1.
The home side then moved in front late in the period when Cole Caufield converted on the power play, taking a feed from Juraj Slafkovsky and sliding a shot through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s pad area to make it 2-1.
Momentum swings before the second intermission
Buffalo’s equalizer arrived in the second period through Tage Thompson, whose dump-in took a strange bounce off the end boards and deflected in off Dobes to restore balance at 2-2.
Thompson noted the simple play was intended to create pressure, but the unexpected carom turned it into a scoring result after players reacted to the loose puck near the crease.
Montreal, meanwhile, believed it had controlled stretches of the middle frame and created enough opportunities to extend its lead, though it could not convert the next decisive finish.
Third-period power play decides the outcome
The turning point came early in the third period when Zach Benson scored on the man advantage at 4:41, finishing a low-slot backhand after a precise feed from Josh Doan to put Buffalo ahead 3-2.
Buffalo’s special teams proved decisive, converting twice on four power plays, while Montreal managed one goal on seven attempts, a gap that proved costly in a tight contest.
Benson described the sequence as a well-executed play, highlighting the passing connection that allowed him a straightforward finish on his 21st birthday.
Goaltending, structure, and series implications
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen delivered 28 saves in his first start since mid-April, helping Buffalo stabilize late by limiting Montreal’s pace and chances in the final period.
Montreal’s coach Martin St. Louis pointed to the difference in efficiency on special teams, noting that his team generated chances but could not match Buffalo’s finishing or overcome the visiting goaltender’s performance.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff emphasized improved discipline and structure from his team, saying the effort resembled their stronger identity from start to finish.
With the win, Buffalo evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2, setting up Game 5 in Buffalo on Thursday.