TAMPA — The first-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning was very tight and, aside from possibly Game 6, neither team gave the other much space.
That could change in the second round, when the Canadiens face the Buffalo Sabres.
“I feel like there is more risk in their game,” forward Juraj Slafkovsky said. “And I feel like we can use that to our advantage.
“It’s going to be good hockey, honestly. I’m excited for (Wednesday).”
Game 1 of the series is set for Wednesday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
The Sabres eliminated the Boston Bruins in six games in the first round, finishing them off last Friday. The Canadiens knocked out the Lightning with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 on Sunday in Tampa.
Montreal decided to stay in Tampa and give players a day off in the sun Monday. They were back to work Tuesday, holding a practice at the Lightning’s training facility before flying to Buffalo.
“I think it was an important day for the players, to be able to disconnect a little bit,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “Now we have to start again. It’s great, we won, we had a good emotional high, and now it’s about coming back down to ground level and building back up to that again.”
St. Louis emphasized transition play to counter the Sabres’ forecheck during a drill at practice. While there’s a perception the series against the Sabres could be more offensive, the coach stressed that won’t change the Canadiens’ basic principles.
“Games can be different. We have an idea of how they play and it won’t change how we want to play,” he said. “You just have to play the game that’s in front of you. When there’s not a lot of space, you have to let the puck do the work, you have to forecheck more.
“We’ll see. We’re ready. We will play the game that’s in front of us.”
The Canadiens and Sabres split their four-game season series. They each scored 13 goals in those matchups, all of which were decided by two goals.
“When we played them, there was a lot of scoring,” forward Josh Anderson said. “But I think in the playoffs that slims down a little bit. Teams play more defensively and more structured. So I expect it to be a close-knit game (Wednesday) night and physical, too.”
That could help the Canadiens’ offensive weapons get going again.
Slafkovsky scored three power-play goals in the opener against the Lightning but was quieter afterward. Cole Caufield had just one power-play goal after finishing the regular season with 51 goals. Nick Suzuki finally found the back of the net in the deciding game.
“It takes everyone. You can’t rely on just one guy or one line,” forward Alexandre Texier said. “Aside from that, (Caufield) is doing a good job. If you look at the details we focus on, he’s doing his job, he’s confident. We need him, and he knows it.
“It’s good to have a little break of two days to reset.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.
Alexis Bélanger-Champagne, The Canadian Press
