Canadiens Head to Buffalo for Game 5 Needing a Response After Letting Series Slip

The Montreal Canadiens held a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 at the Bell Centre. They lost 3-2; the Sabres tied the series, and now Montreal must travel back to KeyBank Center for a pivotal Game 5 on Thursday. What was a commanding position four days ago is now a coin flip.

Head coach Martin St-Louis was direct after the loss. He liked much of what his team did but was openly critical of their start. Slow beginnings have cost Montreal before, and in a series now level at 2-2, they cannot afford to spot Buffalo another early lead on the road.

Montreal Canadiens Must Now Fix Both Ends of the Ice

Buffalo's power play was the difference in Game 4, converting twice in three attempts while Montreal took too many penalties at critical moments. Zach Benson scored the go-ahead goal on his birthday, a player who has now registered points in three of four games this series with two goals and two assists.

He has been a persistent problem for Montreal's defense throughout the second round. The Canadiens' power play did convert once through Cole Caufield, but Montreal generated far more chances than they finished. 

St. Louis has identified capitalizing on special teams as a clear priority heading into Thursday, and the Canadiens will need Caufield to be sharper in the moments that matter most. The brightest storyline for Montreal heading into Game 5 is Alex Newhook's form. 

The St. John's native has registered six goals and six points across his last five playoff appearances since Game 7 against Tampa Bay. That production has been the backbone of Montreal's offense throughout the second round and gives the Canadiens a genuine game-breaking option at even strength.

If Newhook can get going early in Buffalo, the series picture could shift significantly by Thursday night. Montreal won Games 2 and 3 convincingly, including a dominant 6-2 performance at the Bell Centre, showing they are fully capable of taking games away from the Sabres when they are at their best.

Buffalo has shown throughout this series that they can adjust, and Lindy Ruff's team tightened their defensive structure in Game 4 effectively. But the Canadiens went 2-2 against Buffalo in the regular season and have consistently shown the ability to respond when challenged. 

Game 5 on the road, with the series level and momentum shifted, is exactly the kind of test this young Montreal team was built to pass.