Canadiens draw on Game 7 experience for Sabres series finale

The Canadiens have been down this path before — playing a seventh and deciding game of a playoff series on the road — and hope the experience works to their benefit.

“We’re going to have to rely on that a lot,” captain Nick Suzuki said Saturday in the wake of the Canadiens’ embarrassing 8-3 loss to Buffalo at the Bell Centre, squandering an opportunity to eliminate the Sabres in Game 6 of their Atlantic Division final.

“It’s disappointing to have this effort on home ice,” Suzuki added. “We can’t let that be our last game here. We have to give everything we can to forget about it and be ready for Game 7.”

“It’s going to be important for guys to look at themselves in the mirror,” says Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, battling Buffalo Sabres centre Konsta Helenius as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen tries to clear the puck during the third period of Game 4 in Montreal on May 12. Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette

As the Canadiens prepared for Monday’s series-deciding game against Buffalo at KeyBank Center (7:30 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM), they were drawing on any positives they could muster in light of the “worst game we’ve played,” according to Suzuki.

While the Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on the road in the seventh game of their opening-round series — despite being outshot 29-9, including 12-0 in the second period — the optics felt different on May 3.

The Canadiens were coming off a 1-0 overtime loss to the Lightning in Game 6 that could have gone either way. While Montreal players were saying all the right things, that their confidence was high as they prepared for Monday night’s clash, they might be wondering whether their best opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference final was lost.

The Canadiens appeared to be in full control in the first period, jumping to a 3-1 lead, before the team collectively imploded. Buffalo scored seven unanswered goals, including three in the second period, and took a 5-3 advantage into the third.

“It’s going to be important for guys to look at themselves in the mirror,” Suzuki said. “We have an opportunity to win one game and to move on to the third round. We’ll take that any time throughout the season.”

The Canadiens have several factors working in their favour heading into the pivotal match.

Goaltender Jakub Dobes, who was replaced in the third period after allowing six goals on 33 shots, is undefeated in five games after a loss. The Canadiens are 5-2 on the road and haven’t lost consecutive games since March 14-15.

At the same time, the Sabres have struggled at home, going 2-4.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis looks on along with Alexandre Texier, from left, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield during the final minutes as the Habs fall 8-3 to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 at the Bell Centre on Saturday. Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette

“We’re a team that’s really resilient,” Suzuki said. “We’ve played in this situation already in the first round. We have (that) experience. We just have to win one more game. That’s the focus right now.”

The Canadiens believe if they play their game — one that includes pace and going to the net to create traffic — they can compete against any NHL team.

In the Canadiens’ rich playoff history, they have a 16-9 record in the deciding game of a series, including 7-1 since 2004.

“The thing we have to bring in Game 7 is our A game,” veteran centre Phillip Danault told the media on Sunday, before the team travelled to Buffalo. “We didn’t have it the last game. Otherwise, it’s 50/50. It’s a good series and it could go either way. If we bring our A game, we believe in our chances. But if we play like the last game, it will be difficult.”

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis’s latest phrase is “bounce forward,” bringing a new twist to physics.

“This situation is magnified in terms of bouncing forward,” he said on Sunday. “The obstacles in life come at different times. For us, it just came the last 24 hours. We have to find a way to bounce forward.

“I wish we played today.”

With an average age of 25.8, the Canadiens are attempting to become the youngest team in 33 years to advance to the third round.

Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff has a 1-4 record in Game 7, while the Sabres franchise is 1-6. The Sabres, making their first playoff appearance in 15 years, played their last deciding game that same season, losing 5-2 to Philadelphia in the opening round.

“There’s no panic. We’re all excited,” defenceman Lane Hutson said post-game. “We don’t want it easy. We like the challenge. They brought their best. We have to answer the bell.

“We understand how hard it is to put a team away. This was our second chance. It’s tough for sure, but now we’re just excited for the new challenge.”

The winner advances to meet Carolina, beginning Thursday night on the road.

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