{"id":672786,"date":"2026-05-16T05:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T05:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/672786\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T05:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T05:35:11","slug":"mark-masters-six-questions-for-game-6-habs-seek-a-special-saturday-night-in-montreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/672786\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Masters: Six questions for Game 6: Habs seek a special Saturday night in Montreal"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens<\/a> have a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres<\/a> in Game 6 of their second-round series. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d said Canadiens forward Joe Veleno. \u201cSaturday night at the Bell Centre, you couldn\u2019t write it any better to close out a series. I think the boys know that and we\u2019re all ready for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Montreal last hosted a playoff game on a Saturday night in 2021, which was during the COVID-shortened season with limited attendance allowed. The last time a full Bell Centre enjoyed a Saturday playoff game was way back in 2015. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be unreal,\u201d said defenceman Alexandre Carrier<\/a>. \u201cSaturday night, I think it\u2019s our first one this playoffs, so it\u2019s going to be fun. I expect nothing less. We have the best fans in the league so it\u2019s going to be pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

OVERDRIVE VIEW: Mike Johnson says Madame B\u00e9liveau would create the biggest buzz in Bell Centre if she carried the torch on Saturday #GoHabsGo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) May 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The excitement level may hit a new level if the Canadiens can eliminate the Sabres. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe city\u2019s already pretty crazy,\u201d Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki<\/a> said following Thursday\u2019s 6-3 win at the Keybank Center in Buffalo. \u201cWe saw against Tampa, it takes a lot to close out a team and we have another opportunity to do that. I\u2019m sure the crowd will be into it before the game starts. It\u2019s going to be rocking. We\u2019re ready for that and excited for the opportunity to close it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Canadiens won more games on Saturday (14) than any other day during the regular season. <\/p>\n

Habs Ice Chips: A perfect Saturday night script The Canadiens and Sabres had an off day to prepare for Saturday’s Game 6 in Montreal. For the Habs, it is another opportunity to give their fans a close out game worth remembering. TSN’s Mark Masters has more on the mindset of both teams heading into the game. <\/p>\n

Here are six key questions for Game 6: <\/p>\n

1 – What did the Canadiens learn from their last Game 6? <\/p>\n

The Canadiens were in this exact same situation last round, coming home with a 3-2 series lead, but could not put away the Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a>, who forced Game 7 with a 1-0 overtime win. Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a> stopped all 30 shots he faced and was named the first star of that game. <\/p>\n

The youngest team in the playoffs learned a valuable lesson about what it takes to score a knockout punch in a hard-fought series. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a lot,\u201d said coach Martin St. Louis. \u201cGame 6 against Tampa, we probably played one of our best games of the series and didn\u2019t win. It probably takes your best and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly thought it was one of our better games,\u201d said Veleno. \u201cWe gotta come ready from the start of the game to the end. They will come out with desperation and we\u2019re going to get their best so we gotta make sure we\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Canadiens have to avoid getting caught up in the hoopla. The anticipation will be building throughout the day ahead of an 8 pm start, which is later than any other game in this series. <\/p>\n

St. Louis did not want to even think about what his walk to the rink will be like.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just focused on each and every day,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not worried about the day before. We\u2019re not worried about what\u2019s ahead. Let\u2019s just take care of today. If you take care of today, you don\u2019t get, you know, anxious or too excited. I feel like you just stay present where your feet are and take care of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

LeBrun: Canadiens ‘have to prove they can have this closing out moment at home’ The Canadiens once again have an opportunity to close out a playoff series at home and after squandering their moment against the Lightning in a Game 6 in the first round, before ultimately prevailing, the Habs have a chance to eliminate the Sabres on Saturday night. Mark Masters is joined by TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun to discuss this, the mindset of both teams and the goaltending decision for Buffalo. <\/p>\n

2 – How will the Sabres handle facing elimination? <\/p>\n

The Sabres, who are the second youngest team in the playoffs, will be facing elimination for the first time. This is uncharted territory for a group that finished first in the Atlantic Division in the regular season. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a completely different challenge being involved in an elimination game where now every mistake could mean the end for you,\u201d said coach Lindy Ruff.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to play on our toes. We got to play to win. [We] can\u2019t be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a departure from Buffalo\u2019s regular routine, Ruff told his players to meet at the airport on Friday rather than come to the rink for a meeting. <\/p>\n

\u201cI know the pressure they\u2019re feeling,\u201d he said. \u201cI know how much they care. I just feel a day away from the rink, not coming here, is a good thing. We don\u2019t need to watch video today. We don\u2019t need to talk about the game. We need to move on. There\u2019s only one game that counts now and that is the game tomorrow. In all likelihood we may not even skate tomorrow. We\u2019ll save everything we got for tomorrow night. That\u2019s my initial thoughts right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sabres blew leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 during a disheartening defeat at home in Game 5. So, how will Ruff refocus his group and keep them believing? <\/p>\n

\u201cI look at it right now, what is there, five teams left? To be sitting here talking to you guys, I think this is a wonderful place to be and I\u2019ll tell the team the same thing,\u201d Ruff revealed. \u201cWe get to go to Montreal [for] Game 6 in the middle of May to move on to a Game 7. I think we\u2019ll all be evaluated on what this game looks like, just bring your best.\u201d<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

3 – How will the goalie matchup play out? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear who the Sabres will start in goal on Saturday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen<\/a> picked up the win in Montreal in Game 4, but was pulled from Game 5 after allowing five goals on 23 shots in the first two periods. <\/p>\n

Alex Lyon<\/a> allowed one goal on just three shots in the third period. Lyon also allowed nine goals while taking the losses in Game 2 and Game 3. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s no question who will start for the Canadiens. Jakub Dobes<\/a> has been the starter since the playoffs started although, for a moment on Thursday, his control of the crease was in serious jeopardy. <\/p>\n

Dobes was beaten by three of Buffalo\u2019s first four shots, which led St. Louis to contemplate a pull. Ultimately, St. Louis kept faith in Dobes after consulting with interim goalie coach Marco Marciano. <\/p>\n

\u201cI tell him, \u2018Thank you for letting me [stay in] and trying to prove myself,\u2019\u201d Dobes said after the game. <\/p>\n

\u201cReally happy that [teammates] stepped up when we needed and obviously I\u2019m really proud of myself too, not giving up and keep making saves.\u201d <\/p>\n

Dobes stopped the final 32 shots he faced on Thursday. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt says a lot, I think, to be able to really dig in after maybe one goal he didn\u2019t like,\u201d said Carrier. \u201cWe had confidence in him. We had his back and he got ours all season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruff felt the Sabres stopped getting pucks to the net after the third goal went in. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought we let him off the hook,\u201d the Sabres coach said. \u201cWe came out of the corner a couple times and we had clear lanes to shoot pucks and we deferred to a better play … We had the puck going to the net early, we got rewarded for it. We didn\u2019t quite stick with it. Probably there were four, five opportunities to get a puck there quicker last night that could\u2019ve kept them in chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Habs have unrelenting confidence in Dobes, who used self-belief to stay focused Jakub Dobes got off a rough start in Game 5 against the Sabres, allowing three goals on the first four shots he faced before stopping the final 32 and getting the win for the Canadiens. The Habs goaltender praised his teammates for stepping up and said he was proud of himself for not giving up. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

4 – Can the Sabres top line find its form? <\/p>\n

Tage Thompson<\/a> could have swung Game 5 in Buffalo\u2019s favour, but failed to score on a breakaway early in the second period. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at the game being 3-2 and Thompson walks in alone, it could\u2019ve been a difference maker,\u201d Ruff lamented. <\/p>\n

Thompson later took a costly penalty, which led to Montreal\u2019s fifth goal. <\/p>\n

Buffalo\u2019s top line has failed to make a big impact in the series. Thompson has two goals and two assists, but is also minus-nine in the five games. Meanwhile, Alex Tuch<\/a> has yet to hit the scoresheet in the series and is minus-eight. <\/p>\n

\u201cOffence has been hard to come by for me,\u201d Tuch told reporters after Thursday\u2019s game. \u201cI gotta bear down. I gotta be better. I can\u2019t play the way I\u2019m playing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

NHL: Canadiens 6, Sabres 3 Nick Suzuki capped a three-goal second period for the Canadiens to give them a two-goal lead and they wouldn’t look back from there, as they put the Sabres on the ropes. MTL leads series 3-2. <\/p>\n

5 – Can Cole Caufield<\/a> continue his Saturday night success? <\/p>\n

Asked what it will be like to play in Montreal on Saturday night, Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov<\/a> smiled. <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, better to ask No. 13,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

That would be Caufield, who seemed to score on every Saturday night during the regular season. Of his 51 goals, 21 came on Saturday. <\/p>\n

This series started with Caufield on the hot seat. He was held off the board in the first two games and had scored just once through nine playoff games, but now Caufield\u2019s scored in three straight. And on Thursday the Rocket Richard Trophy runner-up scored his first even-strength goal of the playoffs. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to contribute 5-on-5 as a line,\u201d said Suzuki. \u201cCole and [Juraj Slafkovsky] were pretty fired up about that, but we know we can still be a little better and keep playing the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Talking Point: Three keys for Habs to close the series After Montreal’s decisive Game 5 victory in Buffalo, what do they need to do to finish the job in Game 6 and advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes? TSN Hockey analyst Bruce Boudreau gives us his three keys to a Canadiens’ victory. <\/p>\n

6 – Are the floodgates about to open for Demidov? <\/p>\n

On Thursday night, Demidov finally scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal in his 17th postseason game. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo tough to describe,\u201d the Calder Trophy finalist said. \u201cBest feeling in the world I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

St. Louis shared a moment with Demidov at the bench after the goal. <\/p>\n

\u201cI know what he\u2019s going through,\u201d St. Louis said. \u201cTo have been part of his, I wouldn\u2019t say process, but part of his trying to get out of that and feel good about himself, to finally see him have that feeling, it\u2019s fun. You\u2019re happy for him, because they have high expectations. They prepare. They put a lot into it knowing that there\u2019s nothing guaranteed. You\u2019re just going to put your best foot forward. You don\u2019t know if it\u2019s [going to happen] tonight and I was happy for him that it was last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demidov certainly earned it. He registered a team high five shots on net and picked up an assist when one of his shots snuck past Luukkonen before being tapped in by Jake Evans<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Now that he\u2019s finally on the board in the playoffs, Demidov was asked if his confidence is higher. <\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I feel pretty confident,\u201d the 20-year-old said with a grin. <\/p>\n

‘It was just a matter of time’: Habs glad Demidov got rewarded with first playoff goal Ivan Demidov finally got his first career playoff goal in Game 5 against the Sabres and his teammates were just as happy as the forward to see him get rewarded for all of his hard work. <\/p>\n

Defending Demidov, who has hit the scoresheet in four of five games in the series, and the rest of the Canadiens will be even more challenging for the Sabres if Owen Power<\/a> is unavailable. The defenceman sustained an injury after an awkward fall into the boards at the end of Game 5. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he\u2019s feeling pretty good, better than he thought he would feel,\u201d Ruff relayed. \u201cSo that\u2019s encouraging.\u201d <\/p>\n

This does not look good<\/p>\n

Owen Power goes into the boards very awkwardly, and heads right into the tunnel pic.twitter.com\/6XaFh6YMcI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 y – Crossing Swords \u2694\ufe0f (@CrossSwordsPod) May 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n