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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, while Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal, the only Canadian team remaining in the post-season.
Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each provided two assists and Jakub Dobeš made 26 saves as the Canadiens won consecutive games for the first time these playoffs.
The Montreal crowd broke into chants of “Do-by! Do-by!” — one of several ovations the rookie goalie received Sunday night — as Dobeš burst into laughter from his crease.
“It warms your heart, and I’m really proud to be a Canadien and play for this franchise,” Dobeš 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 Dobeš 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,” Dobeš 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 replied with a goal and an assist each for Buffalo, which dropped its first road game of the post-season. 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 will take place back at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night.
“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.”
We asked Habs fans gathered outside the Bell Centre for Game 3 against the Buffalo Sabres who they believe is the greatest Canadiens player of all time. Some of their answers might surprise you.
2nd period a wild one
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, kicking off a wild, four-goal period.
Hutson deked around a stickless Jordan Greenway before laying a pass to the snake-bitten 51-goal scorer, who deposited the puck into the gaping net as the crowd erupted into a boisterous ovation.
“Not by chance that Cole is a 50-goal scorer,” said coach Martin St. Louis. “If he had scored on more chances this season, would he have scored 60? He will have his chances to score and he will definitely miss some, but I’m not worried that Cole Caufield will score goals, even in the playoffs.”
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 as jeers rained on a night that featured several questionable calls.
Bolduc ultimately gave the Canadiens a two-goal advantage at 10:43 in the second after Joe Veleno hunted down a puck behind Sabres defenceman Logan Stanley and set him up.
Chaos ensued two minutes later when Beck Malenstyn ran over Dobeš, provoking a massive scrum and sending the Canadiens on a power play.
Slafkovsky then 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, calmly placing a shot off the far post and in to get one back heading into the intermission. 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 Dobeš, twice denying Zach Benson, as the Canadiens fended off a Sabres pushback that included a nervy penalty kill early in the period.
“Saves us when we need it the most,” Caufield said. “He’s been unbelievable throughout these playoffs and kept us in every game, so I know he’s going to keep it going.”
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 on a sunny afternoon, as the Canadiens added a third giant screen outside the building to meet the “incredible demand.”
Kirk Muller carried the ceremonial torch inside 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, raising questions about whether he’s playing at full health.
“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.”
Lyon, repeatedly taunted with “Ly-on!” chants, then denied chances from Nick Suzuki, Caufield and Veleno to keep the Sabres ahead until Newhook capitalized on a rebound at 15:31 of the first period.
Newhook sparked a run of four unanswered goals from the Canadiens, who gained a lead they would not squander.
Schools across Montreal are encouraging kids to wear their Habs colours to support the team. CBC News spoke to students at Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc, Que.