Canadiens lead series after 6-2 win

The Montreal Canadiens delivered a commanding performance against the Buffalo Sabres, winning 6-2 in Game 3 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series and taking a 2-1 series lead. Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the playoffs and added an assist, while Alex Newhook netted two goals, including one on an empty net.

Other goals came from Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Kirby Dach, with Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each contributing two assists. Goaltender Jakub Dobes made 26 saves for Montreal, marking their first consecutive playoff victories this season.

For Buffalo, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each recorded a goal and an assist, but Alex Lyon faced 31 shots in another loss. The Sabres had previously won Game 1 but lost the following two games, setting the stage for Game 4 on Tuesday night in Montreal.

According to Yahoo Sports, both teams had split the first two games in Buffalo, with the Canadiens bouncing back from a 4-2 loss in Game 1 to secure a 5-1 victory in Game 2.