Sabres scores 7 straight goals, force Game 7 vs. Canadiens

Field Level Media|published: Sat 16th May, 23:17 2026

May 16, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Buffalo Sabres center Konsta Helenius (94) celebrates with his teammates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game six of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Rasmus Dahlin scored once in a five-point game and Tage Thompson posted one goal and three assists to pace the visiting Buffalo Sabres to a 8-3 comeback victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and force a seventh game in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Jack Quinn tallied twice in a three-point performance, Zach Benson and Jason Zucker both collected one goal and one assist and Konsta Helenius and Zach Metsa added a goal apiece for the Sabres, who scored seven unanswered goals.

Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 18 saves after starter Alex Lyon was pulled when he surrendered three goals on four shots.

Game 7 will be Monday in Buffalo.

The winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference final.

Jake Evans collected one goal and one assist, while Arber Xhekaj and Ivan Demidov tallied once for the Canadiens.

Goalie Jakub Dobes was tagged for six goals on 33 shots before being pulled. Jacob Fowler stopped one of two shots in relief.

With his team trailing 3-2, Benson tied the clash when he cashed in a loose puck 60 seconds into the second period.

Quinn's power-play marker at 10:54 of the frame, his first career playoff goal, put Buffalo ahead, and Helenius made it a 5-3 count by finishing a 2-on-1 rush at 12:59 of the period.

Quinn added his second of the game midway through the third period, Thompson netted an empty-net goal and Metsa notched his first career playoff goal with a late power-play marker -- Buffalo's fourth of the game -- to round out the scoring.

It was a wasted opportunity for the Canadiens after holding a 3-2 lead at the first intermission. Buffalo tallied first when Dahlin converted the first shot 32 seconds into the clash, but Montreal responded with a trio of goals.

Xhekaj tied the game 68 seconds later on his team's first shot for his first of the playoffs, Demidov put Montreal ahead on the power play at 8:12 and Evans added a short-handed goal at 10:14 to make it a 3-1 lead.

But Zucker sparked the Sabres with a power-play goal of his own at 13:56 of the wild frame and swung the pendulum the other direction.

--Field Level Media

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