Montréal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres on May 06, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 2, Buffalo Sabres 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | May 06, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Series | R2 Game 1: BUF 1-0 MTL |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 2 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 4 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jordan Greenway | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13:03 | 0.08 | 1.81 |
| 2nd | Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 21:13 | 0.14 | 1.67 |
| 3rd | Ryan McLeod | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14:33 | 0.32 | 1.52 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 04:31 | BUF | Josh Doan | Zach Benson | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 13:26 | BUF | Ryan McLeod | Zach Benson, Josh Doan | 5v4 | 0–2 |
| 1st 19:16 | MTL | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov | 4v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 03:32 | BUF | Jordan Greenway | Mattias Samuelsson | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 09:01 | BUF | Bowen Byram | Ryan McLeod | 5v4 | 1–4 |
| 2nd 16:31 | MTL | Kirby Dach | Zachary Bolduc | 5v5 | 2–4 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 16 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.75 | 3.79 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 12 |
| Corsi % | 53.9% | 46.1% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 62.8% | 37.2% |
| Hits | 31 | 27 |
| Blocks | 13 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 7 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 5 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8:53 | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9:41 | 0.03 | 0.54 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:19 | 0.54 | 0.44 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 19:41 | 1.04 | 0.16 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:45 | 0.09 | 0.16 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:02 | 0.64 | 0.11 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:49 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:00 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:33 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16:52 | 0.13 | -0.09 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:22 | 0.00 | -0.15 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:42 | 0.00 | -0.16 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:20 | 0.03 | -0.25 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:51 | 0.00 | -0.30 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:44 | 0.05 | -0.42 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:08 | 0.05 | -0.65 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 26:42 | 0.06 | -1.86 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:09 | 0.06 | -2.02 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Greenway | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:03 | 0.08 | 1.81 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:13 | 0.14 | 1.67 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14:33 | 0.32 | 1.52 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:35 | 0.00 | 1.51 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16:56 | 0.12 | 1.47 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21:04 | 0.53 | 1.27 |
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17:26 | 0.92 | 1.14 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:56 | 0.42 | 1.01 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:36 | 0.00 | 1.01 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:02 | 0.00 | 1.01 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:16 | 0.64 | 0.94 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:28 | 0.11 | 0.92 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:41 | 0.00 | 0.89 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:52 | 0.00 | 0.77 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:39 | 0.00 | 0.63 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.49 | 0.03 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:08 | 0.00 | -0.00 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:15 | 0.02 | -0.01 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 12 | 16 | 75.0% | -0.21 | L |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 26 | 28 | 92.9% | 0.75 | W |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montréal Canadiens 4–2 on May 06, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.79 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 2.75 — the run of play matched the result, with Buffalo Sabres earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Jordan Greenway led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.81 on 1 goal, 1 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 26 of 28, worth 0.75 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Montréal Canadiens 4–2 on May 06, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 4, Montréal Canadiens 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Jordan Greenway led all skaters at 1.81, on 1G, 0A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 3.79 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 2.75, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 28 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 16. High-danger chances went 12 to 12.