Sabres Even It Up: Buffalo Steals Game 4 in Montreal, Series Heads Back to KeyBank

NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals | Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens | Series Tied 2-2

What looked like it might be a Canadiens series to control has suddenly become a dead heat. The Buffalo Sabres gutted out a 3-2 victory in Montreal on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference Semifinal at two games apiece, setting up a pivotal Game 5 tonight at KeyBank Center.

A Tale of Two Periods

Montreal came out flying in Game 1 of this series at home, and Game 4 in the Bell Centre had a similar feel early. The Canadiens opened up a 2-1 lead after the first period, outshooting Buffalo 31-22 on the night and generating chance after chance — but the Sabres' goaltending held firm where it needed to, and Buffalo's efficiency told the real story.

Buffalo converted on 2 of 4 power play opportunities (a scorching 50%), while Montreal, despite earning a whopping 7 power plays, managed just 1 goal on them. That discipline and penalty killing from Buffalo was the difference.

Benson Delivers the Dagger

If you're a Sabres fan looking for a hero, look no further than Zach Benson, who scored the game-winning goal on the power play to break a 2-2 tie and send Buffalo home with a share of the series. Josh Doan was outstanding in a supporting role, picking up two assists, while defenseman Rasmus Dahlin chipped in from the blue line as well.

For Montreal, Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook each found the net, and Ivan Demidov added an assist — but the Habs couldn't solve Buffalo's goalie when it mattered most, despite controlling much of the ice.

How We Got Here

The series has been a wild ride:

Game	Location	Score	Winner
Game 1	Buffalo	BUF 4 – MTL 2	Sabres
Game 2	Buffalo	MTL 5 – BUF 1	Canadiens
Game 3	Montreal	MTL 6 – BUF 2	Canadiens
Game 4	Montreal	BUF 3 – MTL 2	Sabres

Buffalo took Game 1 convincingly at home, Montreal answered with a dominant 5-1 blowout in Game 2, the Canadiens then grabbed control with a commanding 6-2 win in Game 3 — and now Buffalo has responded. Much like they did in their first-round series against Boston, where they also showed the ability to bounce back on the road.

Back to Buffalo

Game 5 is tonight at 7:00 PM ET at KeyBank Center, with the series all square. The Sabres have a slight edge — roughly a 52% win probability at home — but this series has proven that margins don't mean much once the puck drops.

Buffalo will be feeding off their home crowd, and the Canadiens, a young and hungry group in their own right, have shown they won't be rattled on the road. Whoever wins tonight takes control of the series.

It's must-watch hockey.