Nick Suzuki scored a goal and set up two others while Juraj Slafkovsky notched three assists, lifting the visiting Montreal Canadiens to a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Canadiens closed the contest with four unanswered goals — including two on the power play — to seize a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Saturday in Montreal.
“It takes a lot to put a team away, especially when they are fighting for their lives,” Suzuki said. “We have to have that same attitude. … Hopefully get rested and ready to go, and hopefully close it out at home.”
Added Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin after team fell to 2-4 at home in the playoffs. “We just have to look at ourselves in the mirror. We just have to play better on home ice. It’s unacceptable.”
Cole Caufield scored in a third straight game for the Canadiens, and Ivan Demidov had a goal and an assist. Alexandre Texier, Josh Anderson and Jake Evans also tallied. Phillip Danault and defenseman Lane Hutson each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 33 saves.
Buffalo’s Jason Zucker, Josh Doan and Konsta Helenius each scored a goal in the first period.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 18 of 23 shots before being replaced by Alex Lyon for the Sabres, who saw their third one-goal lead go by the boards in the second period. Lyon stopped two of the three shots he faced.
Hutson feathered a pass through traffic that Anderson converted from in front to forge a 3-3 tie at 8:01 of the middle period.
Montreal secured its first lead of the contest at 4-3 with 3:45 remaining in the second period when Evans tapped home a loose puck after Demidov’s sharp-angle shot slipped past Luukkonen.
Suzuki followed 78 seconds later by converting a one-handed pass from Slafkovsky, and the two set up Demidov’s power-play goal at 3:32 of the third.
“You’ve got to believe in your top guys, and they’ve got to get it done for you,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said about trying to overcome the deficit in the game.
Buffalo seized a 3-2 lead after the teams combined for five goals in the first 10:15 of the game.
Zucker deflected Jack Quinn’s shot from the point to open the scoring exactly two minutes into the first period.
Caufield made Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins pay for an ill-advised pass toward the middle of the zone, with the former forging a 1-1 tie at 6:31 of the first.
Doan extended his point streak to six games after converting a one-timer through traffic to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead at 7:45 of the first. Texier answered nine seconds later after the puck caromed off his skate and into the net.
Helenius regathered a loose puck and wired a shot from the inner edge of the right circle to net the Sabres a 3-2 advantage just past the midpoint of the first period.
–Field Level Media
