Alex Newhook and Zach Benson traded goals as the Montreal Canadiens hold a 3-1 lead over the Buffalo Sabres after two periods in Game 3 on Friday night.
Newhook stretched Montreal’s lead to three at 4:47 of the second frame. Shortly after killing off another Sabres power play, Jake Evans and Newhook broke in on a 2-on-1, where the St. John’s, Newfoundland native was able to tap home a cross-ice pass for his third of the postseason.
Benson answered with 38 seconds remaining in the frame to give the Sabres life, as he found himself alone at the side of the net and tipped hoome a backdoor feed from Conor Timmins to get the Sabres on the board.
Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov went to the bench in pain early in the second during the power play when Jordan Greenway hit him high in the middle of the ice. He briefly went to the Canadiens’ dressing room but was back on the bench after a couple of minutes.
Montreal had a chance to extend the lead further on a power play midway through the period, but was unable to beat Alex Lyon despite maintaining zone pressure for three consecutive minutes.
Newhook gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead 1:36 into the game when he parked himself in the slot and redirected a Kaiden Guhle shot off the pad of Alex Lyon and into the net. Lane Hutson got the second assist on the goal.
Matheson added to the lead just under three minutes later when his point shot found its way through the crowd and over the shoulder of a screened Lyon for his first of the playoffs. Phillip Danault got his second assist of the postseason on the marker.
After going 2-for-3 in Game 1, the Sabres’ power play has struggled to get going on Friday and is 0-for-4 through two periods.
