Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod scored as the Buffalo Sabres lead the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 after the first period of Game 1 in their second-round series.
Doan and Zach Benson each recorded two points in the opening period, while Nick Suzuki responded for the Canadiens to cut the deficit just before the end of the frame.
The Canadiens took a very early penalty, with Lane Hutson being sent to the penalty box for tripping Benson 30 seconds into the period. The Sabres’ power play struggled in the first round against the Bruins, going 1-for-24 with the man-advantage and were stymied with their first opportunity in the second round, as the Habs held them to one shot on net.
Hutson came close to opening the scoring shortly after getting out of the box, as he was left alone in the slot but rang the puck off the post.
Doan opened the scoring on a 3-on-1 at 4:31 of the frame. After the puck hopped over Hutson’s stick in the neutral zone to create the odd-man rush, Benson slipped the puck past a diving Noah Dobson, and Doan tapped it into the wide-open net for the 1-0 lead.
The Sabres capitalized on their second power play of the game to open a 2-0 lead. After failing to gain the zone for much of the two minutes, Buffalo finally found some zone time late in the man advantage and added to their lead after a point shot ricocheted off several bodies in front and found Ryan McLeod at the side of the net, who beat a sprawling Jakub Dobes. Doan and Benson assisted on the goal for their second points of the period.
It’s the first time the Canadiens have trailed by multiple goals in these playoffs.
The Canadiens sustained offensive pressure late in the period and drew a penalty for their first power play of the series, where Suzuki tapped in a cross-crease pass from Juraj Slafkovsky to bring the Canadiens within one 44 seconds before intermission.
The Canadiens escaped the first round after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games, while the Sabres advanced past the Bruins in six.
