Canadiens Take 3-2 Series Lead over Sabres

Lane Hutson (Boston University) set up two goals, and Cole Caufield scored for the third straight game, as the Montreal Canadiens moved within one win of the Eastern Conference final with a 6-3 victory over the host Buffalo Sabres last night. Montreal, which trailed, 3-2, after 20 minutes of play, now leads the best-of-seven 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series, three games to two.

Josh Doan (Arizona State) scored Buffalo's second goal, assisted by Owen Power (Michigan), as the Sabres outshot Montreal, 36-26, on the evening. Alex Newhook (Boston College) drew an assist on the game-winning goal for the Canadiens, giving him six points so far in five games. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 33 saves in net for Montreal, which can wrap matters up Saturday night at home in Game Six. The series winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.

In the Western Conference last night, the visiting Vegas Golden Knights routed the Anaheim Ducks, 5-1, to wrap up that quarterfinal series in five games. The Golden Knights will now face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.

Sabres Tie Up Series with Canadiens

Tage Thompson (UConn) tied the game on a fluke goal in the second period, and then assisted on the game-winner early in the third stanza, to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 victory over the host Montreal Canadiens last night in Game Four of their NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The second-round 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff matchup is now tied at two games apiece, with Game Five set for Thursday night in Buffalo.

Josh Doan (Arizona State) finished with two assists for the Sabres, who went 2-for-4 on the power play, including Thompson's blueline goal that banked off the left wing boards and into the Canadiens net. Alex Newhook (Boston College) scored his fifth goal in the last three games for Montreal, which also got a power-play goal from Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) and 19 saves in net from Jakub Dobes (Ohio State).

Canadiens Knot Series with Sabres

Alex Newhook (Boston College) scored two goals, and Mike Matheson (Boston College) notched the game-winner as the visiting Montreal Canadiens evened their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff second-round series with the Buffalo Sabres last night. The best-of-seven NHL Eastern Conference matchup is now tied up at one game apiece, with Game Three set for Montreal on Sunday night.

Lane Hutson (Boston University) assisted on Newhook's first goal, while Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) finished with 29 saves in net for the Canadiens. Josh Doan (Arizona State) assisted on Buffalo's lone goal late in the second period, long after Montreal had built a 3-0 lead. Alex Tuch (Boston College) of the Sabres led all skaters with seven shots on goal. Both teams went 0-for-5 on the power play.

 

Sabres Take Lead Over Canadiens

Josh Doan (Arizona State) scored one goal and set up another, and Jordan Greenway (Ohio State) added another goal as the Buffalo Sabres topped the visiting Montreal Canadiens, 4-2, in Game One of their 2026 NHL Eastern Conference semifinal series tonight. 

Alex Lyon (Yale) made 26 saves for the Sabres, who are skating in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007, the last time they qualified for postseason play. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) had 12 stops for the Canadiens, who continued their pattern of win-lose so far in these playoffs.

Game Two is Friday night in Buffalo.

ASU, Lindenwood Record Milestone Victories

It was a tale of two firsts on Friday night in men's college ice hockey.

First, independent Arizona State University christened its brand-new, on-campus, 5,000-seat Mullet Arena with a 2-0 victory over visiting Colgate. Josh Doan, son of retired longtime NHL player Shane Doan, scored the first-ever goal in the new facility, which will also house the NHL's Arizona Coyotes over the next few years. Northeastern transfer TJ Semptimphelter earned the shutout on 30 saves for the host Sun Devils, who played their first seven NCAA Division I seasons out of the 747-seat Oceanside Arena.

That same evening in St. Charles, Mo., some 1,450 miles east, fellow independent Lindenwood University earned its first-ever win as an NCAA Division I program with a 7-6 triumph over visiting Air Force. Ryan Finnegan notched the game-winning goal late in regulation, while Trent Burnham made 39 stops for the Lions, like ASU a former ACHA Division I club power.