The Buffalo Sabres find themselves trailing in a playoff series for the first time this postseason after surrendering five unanswered goals in a 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Sunday night. With the defeat, Buffalo’s previously unblemished road playoff record comes to an end, and Montreal takes a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Sabres will have a day to regroup before attempting to even the series in Game 4 on Tuesday. Here is a breakdown of what went wrong for Buffalo in Game 3. A Fast Start Fades Quickly Buffalo initially silenced the raucous Montreal crowd when Tage Thompson found the back of the net just 53 seconds into the opening period. Given Thompson’s struggles in Game 2, the early strike off a feed from Rasmus Dahlin seemed to signal a bounce-back performance for the Sabres’ top line. However, Buffalo failed to capitalize on the early momentum. Instead of dictating the...Read More

The Eastern Conference Semifinal shifts north tonight as the Buffalo Sabres prepare to battle the Montreal Canadiens in a crucial Game 3 matchup. With the series deadlocked at a game apiece, Buffalo is eager to wash away the sour taste of a frustrating 5-1 defeat on Friday night. The Sabres struggled with uncharacteristic puck management in Game 2, falling into an early hole they simply could not climb out of. However, a spirited Saturday practice session seems to have righted the ship. Veteran forward Alex Tuch noted that getting back on the ice yesterday allowed the locker room to reset, shake off the lingering tension, and collectively rebuild their swagger ahead of tonight’s 7:00 P.M. puck drop. Here is everything you need to know as Buffalo looks to reclaim the series lead on the road. Lineup Adjustments and Power Play Shakeup Head coach Lindy Ruff is making some notable tweaks to jumpstart his group. Gritty forward Sam Carrick is slated...Read More