Montréal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres on May 14, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 6, Buffalo Sabres 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | May 14, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Series | R2 Game 5: BUF 2-3 MTL |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 6 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
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 | Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23:27 | 0.01 | 4.10 |
| 2nd | Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20:33 | 0.00 | 2.76 |
| 3rd | Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26:18 | 0.40 | 2.76 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 02:00 | BUF | Jason Zucker | Jack Quinn, Conor Timmins | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 06:31 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 07:45 | BUF | Josh Doan | Owen Power | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 1st 07:54 | MTL | Alexandre Texier | Alexandre Carrier, Phillip Danault | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 1st 10:15 | BUF | Konsta Helenius | Mattias Samuelsson, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 2nd 08:01 | MTL | Josh Anderson | Lane Hutson, Phillip Danault | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 2nd 16:15 | MTL | Jake Evans | Ivan Demidov, Alex Newhook | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 2nd 17:33 | MTL | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovský, Lane Hutson | 4v5 | 5–3 |
| 3rd 03:32 | MTL | Ivan Demidov | Juraj Slafkovský, Nick Suzuki | 4v5 | 6–3 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 6 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 36 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 7.78 | 2.89 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 16 |
| Corsi % | 39.3% | 60.7% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 55.9% | 44.1% |
| Hits | 19 | 22 |
| Blocks | 25 | 11 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23:27 | 0.01 | 4.10 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 20:33 | 0.00 | 2.76 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26:18 | 0.40 | 2.76 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16:00 | 0.29 | 2.74 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9:05 | 1.77 | 2.48 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 12:27 | 0.45 | 2.41 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:52 | 1.03 | 2.28 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:29 | 0.16 | 2.20 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:56 | 0.12 | 2.13 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 14:44 | 1.04 | 1.70 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20:45 | 0.17 | 1.37 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:20 | 0.20 | 1.27 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 19:17 | 1.05 | 1.17 |
| Jake Evans | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17:50 | 0.78 | 0.98 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:15 | 0.12 | 0.34 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:38 | 0.01 | 0.23 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:16 | 0.00 | 0.22 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 16:48 | 0.20 | -0.02 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Doan | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21:32 | 0.31 | 1.44 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:32 | 0.53 | 0.82 |
| Luke Schenn | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:01 | 0.00 | 0.80 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:52 | 0.03 | 0.56 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:04 | 0.05 | 0.54 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10:56 | 0.00 | 0.53 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:21 | 0.06 | 0.52 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:23 | 0.10 | 0.29 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16:10 | 0.19 | 0.11 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13:35 | 0.53 | -0.08 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11:47 | 0.63 | -0.20 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:03 | 0.00 | -0.54 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21:47 | 0.07 | -1.00 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:59 | 0.01 | -1.69 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 25:27 | 0.05 | -2.44 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:46 | 0.10 | -2.80 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:05 | 0.14 | -2.97 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27:28 | 0.08 | -4.09 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 33 | 36 | 91.7% | -0.11 | W |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 18 | 23 | 78.3% | 1.67 | L |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 2 | 3 | 66.7% | -0.55 |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6–3 on May 14, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.89 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 7.78 — the run of play matched the result, with Montréal Canadiens earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Alexandre Carrier led all skaters with a Game Score of 4.1 on 1 assist, 1 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 18 of 23, worth 1.67 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6–3 on May 14, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 6, Buffalo Sabres 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Alexandre Carrier led all skaters at 4.1, on 0G, 1A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 2.89 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 7.78, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 26 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 36. High-danger chances went 14 to 16.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jakub Dobes stopped 33 of 36 (-0.11 goals saved above expected); Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 18 of 23 (1.67 goals saved above expected).