Canadiens beat Sabres 6-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the second-round Eastern Conference series

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in a dominant Game 3 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Alex Newhook had two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal.

Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time in this season's playoffs.

The Montreal crowd broke into chants of “Do-by! Do-by!” — one of several ovations the rookie goalie received Sunday night — as Dobes burst into laughter from his crease.

“It warms your heart, and I’m really proud to be a Canadien and play for this franchise,” Dobes said. “After the Tampa series, I couldn’t believe some of the things that happened in the city, but it’s so much fun. I’m just happy that the fans are having fun with this as much as we do.”

It is quickly becoming the spring of Dobes in Montreal, though the candid netminder insists he’s still his same old self.

“I’m not a hero, I’m just me. I’m just a goofy goalie who tries to stop pucks,” Dobes said. “I will pretty much go home, eat, watch Game of Thrones and go to bed. I don’t think that’s anything heroic.

“And when it’s time to do my job I will do anything to win and make this franchise happy, make these fans happy.”

Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the postseason. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots in his second straight loss.

The teams split the first two games in Buffalo. The Sabres handed the Canadiens a 4-2 loss in Game 1 before Montreal responded with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.

Game 4 is Tuesday night in Montreal.

“Everyone in the room has better. We still haven’t gotten to what I think is our best game,” Thompson said. “It starts with me, it starts with Dahlin, (Alex) Tuch. There’s more in the tank.”

Minutes after missing an open net, Caufield scored on the power play for his first goal in six games to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead 6:05 into the second and kick off a wild, four-goal period.

Hutson deked around a stick-less Jordan Greenway and dropped a pass to Caufield, who scored into the gaping net as the crowd erupted.

The Canadiens appeared to gain a 3-1 lead one minute later when Josh Anderson’s backhand trickled through Lyon as Phillip Danault crashed the crease. The officials, however, ruled no goal.

Bolduc ultimately gave the Canadiens a two-goal advantage at 10:43 in the second after Joe Veleno chased down a puck behind Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley and set him up.

Chaos ensued two minutes later when Beck Malenstyn ran over Dobes, setting off a massive scrum and sending the Canadiens on a power play. Slafkovsky made it 4-1 with a deflection on Hutson’s point shot as Montreal went 2 for 5 with the man advantage.

Dahlin cut into the deficit with 5:14 left in the second period, sending a shot off the far post.

But Dach restored the three-goal lead at 8:46 in the third when he pulled a loose puck out from under Lyon and fired a shot into the open net.

The goal followed multiple key saves from Dobes, twice denying Zach Benson, as the Canadiens fended off a Sabres pushback that included a nervy penalty kill early in the period.

Newhook, who also scored twice in Game 2, added his second when he was hooked with a clear path to the empty net with 4:46 left in the third.

Large crowds packed the surrounding streets hours ahead of the game. Kirk Muller carried the ceremonial torch before puck drop of the Canadiens’ first second-round playoff game before a full Bell Centre since 2015.

Thompson wasted little time to — temporarily — quiet the crowd, opening the scoring 53 seconds in after Dahlin’s point shot deflected off the end boards and onto his stick. He ended a seven-game drought after going minus-4 with a costly turnover in Game 2.

“We started off really good,” Thompson said. “There were spurts throughout the game where I thought we got to our game and played to our standard, but just not consistent enough, and we gave them life.

“The building is pretty rocking, so it’s a little deflating.”

Newhook sparked a run of four unanswered goals by the Canadiens.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres scuffle in the crease behind Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) during the first period of Game 3 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson (72) scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) as Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky (20) defends during the first period of Game 3 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Buffalo Sabres' Alex Tuch (89) tries to tip the puck past Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during the first period of Game 3 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) makes a save against Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield (13) during the first period of Game 3 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield (13) reacts after scoring against Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon, second from left,during the second period of Game 3 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Alex Killorn and rookie Beckett Sennecke had a goal and an assist apiece, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night to even their second-round series at two games apiece.

Ian Moore got his first career playoff goal, Cutter Gauthier contributed three assists and Mikael Granlund also scored for the upstart Ducks, who responded to their 6-2 blowout loss in Game 3 with a mature two-way performance in their first playoff run since 2018.

Lukas Dostal made 18 saves in a strong bounce-back effort after getting pulled from Game 3 for allowing three goals in his latest shaky first period, and his teammates provided more than enough offense to even the series.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas, with Game 6 back in Anaheim on Thursday night.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights, whose three-game road winning streak ended.

Carter Hart stopped 19 shots despite some shaky moments, while Mitch Marner had three assists in Game 4 following his hat trick in Game 3, giving him an NHL-leading and career-best 16 points in the postseason.

Anaheim scored two power-play goals in Game 4, ending the unit’s 0-for-11 skid and finally denting a Vegas penalty kill that allowed just one power-play goal in its first nine postseason games.

After Killorn scored a tiebreaking power-play goal late in the second period, Moore added one early in the third with his first playoff point.

Tomas Hertl scored for Vegas with 1:04 left while Hart was pulled for an extra attacker, but Anaheim held on.

Sennecke, the Ducks’ 20-year-old Calder Trophy finalist, opened the scoring with just the second power-play goal allowed by the Golden Knights in the entire postseason, ending a streak of 21 straight kills and the Ducks’ 0-for-11 start to the series on the power play.

Sennecke scored a goal in his third consecutive game, joining Sidney Crosby (2007) as the only players under 21 with a three-game postseason goal streak in the 21st century.

Howden scored his seventh goal of the postseason early in the second period off a slick setup from former Ducks draft pick William Karlsson.

But Killorn put the Ducks back ahead when his shot trickled through Hart late in the second period for his fourth goal of the postseason.

Vegas played without captain Mark Stone, who incurred an undisclosed injury in Game 3.

Anaheim shook up its lineup, inserting puck-moving defenseman Olen Zellweger for his playoff debut and his first game action since April 7. Moore and forward Mason McTavish also returned after healthy scratches.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Vegas Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev (16) celebrates his goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)

Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel (9) is separated from Anaheim Ducks' Jacob Trouba (65) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)

Anaheim Ducks' John Carlson (74) is tripped up by Vegas Golden Knights' Rasmus Andersson (4) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)

Anaheim Ducks' Beckett Sennecke (45) celebrates his goal against the Vegas Golden Knights with Alex Killorn (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)