NHL Playoff Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres with Line Combinations 05/08/2026 | Inside The Rink

HomeNHLNHL Playoff Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres with Line Combinations 05/08/2026

AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes

Montreal Canadiens (4-2-2) at Buffalo Sabres (5-1-1)

Venue: KeyBank Center
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 7:00 pm EST
How To Watch: TNT/truTV/HBO Max

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Montreal Canadiens News & Notes:

The Canadiens dropped the first game of the series on Wednesday night. They’ll look to even the series before returning home. They’re averaging 2.3 goals per game while allowing 2.4 goals per game.

Buffalo Sabres News & Notes

The Sabres jumped out to a 1-0 series lead and will now look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead before heading to Montreal. They’re averaging 3.6 goals per game while allowing two goals per game.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lines

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Newhook-Evans-Demidov
Texier-Danault-Anderson
Bolduc-Veleno-Dach

Matheson-Carrier
Guhle-Hutson
Xhekaj-Dobson

Dobes
Fowler

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Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines:

Krebs-Thompson-Tuch
Zucker-McLeod-Quinn
Benson-Norris-Doan
Greenway-Kozak-Malenstyn

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Byram-Power
Stanley-Timmins

Lyon
Luukkonen

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Players To Watch:

Montreal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki scored a goal in Wednesday’s loss. He now has seven points in the playoffs on two goals and five assists.

Buffalo Sabres

Josh Doan scored a goal and added an assist in Wednesday’s win over Montreal. He has five points in the playoffs on two goals and three assists, which have come in three of the last four games.

Injury Report:

Montreal Canadiens

F Patrik Laine – IR

Buffalo Sabres

F Justin Danforth – IR
F Jiri Kulich – IR
F Sam Carrick – DTD
G Colten Ellis – DTD
C Noah Ostlund – Out

Next Game:

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