Montréal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres on May 08, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 5, Buffalo Sabres 1.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | May 08, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Series | R2 Game 2: BUF 1-1 MTL |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 5 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 1 |
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 | Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16:20 | 0.18 | 2.81 |
| 2nd | Mike Matheson | D | 1 | 0 | 3 | 26:44 | 0.12 | 2.58 |
| 3rd | Alex Newhook | C | 2 | 0 | 4 | 16:46 | 1.16 | 1.99 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 01:36 | MTL | Alex Newhook | Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 04:27 | MTL | Mike Matheson | Phillip Danault | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 04:47 | MTL | Alex Newhook | Jake Evans, Noah Dobson | 5v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 19:22 | BUF | Zach Benson | Conor Timmins, Josh Doan | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 03:54 | MTL | Alexandre Carrier | — | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 15:59 | MTL | Nick Suzuki | Josh Anderson | 6v5 | 5–1 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 1 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 26 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 5.06 | 0.48 |
| High-danger shots | 16 | 10 |
| Corsi % | 47.5% | 52.5% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 56.6% | 43.4% |
| Hits | 17 | 44 |
| Blocks | 18 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 12 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 4 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 16:20 | 0.18 | 2.81 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 26:44 | 0.12 | 2.58 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 16:46 | 1.16 | 1.99 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:56 | 0.04 | 1.97 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 20:03 | 0.91 | 1.65 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:38 | 0.18 | 1.47 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:54 | 0.16 | 1.45 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:33 | 0.12 | 1.39 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:32 | 0.19 | 1.11 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:02 | 0.06 | 1.01 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:56 | 0.16 | 0.96 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:29 | 0.29 | 0.79 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:32 | 0.09 | 0.77 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:06 | 0.67 | 0.72 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:32 | 0.06 | 0.68 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:18 | 0.52 | 0.62 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:18 | 0.15 | 0.46 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:21 | 0.00 | 0.39 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Benson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:25 | 0.03 | 0.47 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:38 | 0.13 | 0.25 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16:28 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:25 | 0.01 | -0.04 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:39 | 0.07 | -0.07 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:08 | 0.00 | -0.07 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 20:19 | 0.06 | -0.09 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:30 | 0.01 | -0.43 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:18 | 0.03 | -0.50 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:55 | 0.00 | -0.52 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:08 | 0.09 | -0.55 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:11 | 0.00 | -0.64 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:27 | 0.00 | -0.95 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:17 | 0.02 | -1.00 |
| Logan Stanley | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:27 | 0.00 | -1.02 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:47 | 0.00 | -1.18 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:02 | 0.02 | -1.38 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 22:17 | 0.02 | -1.49 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 28 | 29 | 96.2% | -0.53 | W |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 23 | 27 | 85.2% | 0.66 | L |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5–1 on May 08, 2026, a decisive 4-goal win.
Buffalo Sabres generated 0.48 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 5.06 — the run of play matched the result, with Montréal Canadiens earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Noah Dobson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.81 on 1 assist, 5 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon stopped 23 of 27, worth 0.66 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 5–1 on May 08, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 5, Buffalo Sabres 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Noah Dobson led all skaters at 2.81, on 0G, 1A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 0.48 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 5.06, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 28 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 26. High-danger chances went 16 to 10.