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For the first time in these playoffs, the Canadiens won a game that wasn’t a nail-biter.
They cruised to a 5-1 victory in Game 2 over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night at KeyBank Center.
Alex Newhook continued to make his mark in the postseason with two goals. Nick Suzuki now has goals in three consecutive games after scoring an empty-netter.
Goaltender Jakub Dobes made 29 saves and had little patience for Sabre forward Zach Benson trying to get him off his game. Following a loss post-season, the rookie netminder has a perfect 4-0 Record, 1.49 goals against average and a .946 save percentage.
Cole Caufield failed to light the lamp, but he was a post away in the third period from hitting the scoresheet. He stared in astonishment as the shot somehow stayed out of the net.
Before we get to the highlights, were Newhook and his teammates amped in the dressing room before puck drop? They were.
Newhook brought that same energy from the get-go, scoring on the game’s first shot at 1:36.
Less than four minutes later, defenceman Mike Matheson broke a 16-game goalless drought in the playoffs to give the Habs a 2-0 lead.
There was a frightening moment early in the second period on the power play. Jordan Greenway rocked Ivan Demidov with a hit, causing the rookie Hab to land on Beck Malenstyn’s skate. He left for the dressing room, but returned to action.
After killing a penalty, Newhook struck again to give the Habs an all-important third goal. It was their first three-goal lead of the entire playoffs. Noah Dobson got his first point of the post-season with an assist.
With 38 seconds left in the second period, Benson solved Dobes to put the Sabres on the board. After the goal, Benson chirped the Montreal goalie on the way back to the bench.
For Benson and the Sabres, it seemed to have the opposite effect on the young goalie, as Dobes was perfect the rest of the way with 11 saves in the third period.
In the third, Tage Thompson tried to get his team back in it, but ended up wiping out at the blue line. Defenceman Alexandre Carrier stole the puck and scored on the ensuing two-on-one to regain a three-goal advantage for Montreal.
After Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon was pulled for an extra skater, Suzuki sent the KeyBank Center crowd to the exits early with an empty-netter.
The commenters on the Hockey Inside Out YouTube livestream came into the evening believing a 2-0 deficit against Buffalo would be near insurmountable.
Instead, they felt a strange new feeling: a relatively stress-free playoff win. Buffalo’s shoulders slumped on the bench as Suzuki delivered the final dagger.
Jake Evans might be a second line centre in name only, but he and Newhook supplied enough scoring for a win. Phillip Danault has also proved his worth all playoffs long. His lack of foot speed in the regular season has been less of a factor here as he had another dominant day in the face-off dot.
The three utility players topped the Game Score rankings from Hockey Stat Cards.
The commenters were also quick to point out the Habs couldn’t win two consecutive games against Tampa Bay, so momentum only goes so far. The Sabres outhit the Habs 44-18, so they have a reason to enter Game 3 with optimism.
Something else that might motivate them heading to the Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4? The Hab fans at KeyBank Center chanted “ole ole” in the game’s dying moments.
With the ice being a little more open compared to Round 1, could slumping scorer Oliver Kapanen return to the lineup to provide a spark for Demidov?
Here’s what the commenters had to say:
3. Darren Pang said that this young Buffalo team may not be ready for what awaits them in MTL at the Bell Centre. Says it is unreal there.
2. Dobes was very calm and even a little feisty tonight, great game for him.
Ryan Katz1. First Hab playoff game didn't need a defibrillator!
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The post About Last Night: Zach Benson’s chirps inspire Jakub Dobes in Buffalo blowout appeared first on Montreal Gazette.
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