Canadiens host Sabres tonight in Game 3, hoping home ice becomes an advantage

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) is stopped by Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes during the third period in Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens are hoping to make Mother’s Day extra special when they attempt to grab a 2-1 lead in their second-round, best-of-seven playoff series against the visiting Buffalo Sabres tonight.

The Canadiens earned a split at KeyBank Center, losing Wednesday’s opener 4-2 and rebounding with a 5-1 win on Friday in Game 2. The Canadiens are 4-0 after a loss this post-season.

Despite the electric vibe and thunderous Montreal crowds at Bell Centre, home ice hasn’t been an advantage for the Canadiens so far this post-season. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the opening round, winning only one of three games in Montreal and that Game 3 victory required overtime.

In fact, the Canadiens haven’t had back-to-back wins in the post-season, but here they are, just three wins away from an Eastern Conference final date with the Carolina Hurricanes — and now with home-ice advantage against the Sabres.

Rookie netminder Jakub Dobes, who has started all eight playoff games for the Canadiens, takes a .917 save percentage into tonight’s game. His 28-save performance in Game 2 in Buffalo allowed him to become the third rookie Montreal netminder with at least five playoff wins, joining Patrick Roy and Carey Price.

The Sabres, who said their entire team was uncharacteristically sloppy in Game 2, expect to shake off the loss and be ready for tonight’s next challenge.

Coach Lindy Ruff said the Sabres expect to change a few things for the games in Montreal, including their power-play units and tenacity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2026.

The Canadian Press