The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Montreal Canadiens by a 6-3 final score in Game 5. With this, the Sabres are now down 3-2 in their series and are one loss away from their post-season being over.
If the Sabres hope to avoid being eliminated by the Canadiens, they are going to need all of their top players to be on their A-game from here. This undoubtedly includes star winger Alex Tuch, as he has been struggling immensely so far against the Canadiens.
After posting four goals and three assists in the Sabres' first-round series against the Boston Bruins, Tuch has yet to record a point in five games against the Canadiens. Tuch's lack of offensive production has certainly not been doing the Sabres any favors, and they need him to heat back up immediately with their season on the line.
When looking at how well Tuch has played over the last several years, he certainly has the potential to bounce back for the Sabres. Keep in mind, this is a forward who had 33 goals and 66 points in 79 games this season and had 36-goal seasons in 2022-23 and 2024-25. With this, the Sabres need the big winger to find his scoring touch again as they prepare for Game 6 against the Habs.
Last week, the Professional Women's Hockey League officially announced that Detroit would become the ninth city to host a team, with games to be played at Little Caesars Arena.
This week, they've selected their new general manager, and it happens to be one of the icons of women's hockey.
Manon Rhéaume, the first woman ever to appear in an NHL game, is the new GM of the PWHL women's club.
In the best hands 🎉
We are proud to welcome Manon Rhéaume - two-time Women’s Worlds gold medalist, Olympic silver medalist, first woman to play in an NHL game AND first woman to sign a professional hockey contract - as our team’s first General Manager! 📰… pic.twitter.com/VF7pstlSEX
“Manon is a pioneer whose impact on the game extends far beyond the ice,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “She brings an unmatched hockey resume, a championship mindset. (She) has a lifelong commitment to growing the women’s game. Her experience at every level of hockey, combined with her leadership and vision, makes her the perfect person to lead PWHL Detroit.”
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the PWHL and help build something special in Detroit,” Rhéaume said. “This city has such a deep hockey tradition. The passion for hockey here is truly special. The growth of women’s hockey has been incredible to watch. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport alongside the PWHL. I can’t wait to get started and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud of.”
Rhéaume has spent the last four years with the Los Angeles Kings in their hockey operations department and was also a former analyst on Bally Sports Detroit. She's also spent 11 years with the Little Caesars AAA (LCAAA) Hockey Club.
A former goaltender, she made history with not one but two appearances in NHL preseason action with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992 and 1993.
The 2026 PWHL Draft will be held four blocks away from Little Ceasars Arena at the Fox Theater.
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The Montreal Canadiens are currently playing their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. While this is the case, trade speculation over what kind of moves the Habs could make this summer are already starting to come up.
In a recent article for Daily Faceoff, Anthony Di Marco mentioned the Canadiens as a team that could target center Connor Zary this off-season if the Calgary Flames shop him this summer.
"Zary’s disappointing 27-point season could make him a trade candidate for Conroy, and Zary and would surely be an intriguing piece for a team looking to take a flyer on a young talent in need of a change of scenery," Di Marco wrote. "If he’s moved, the Montreal Canadiens seem like the type of team that would explore this option, much like they have done with Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc in the past."
With the Canadiens needing help at center, it would make a lot of sense if they took a chance on a former first-round pick like Zary. The 24-year-old forward is still young enough that could he hit a new level, and he has already shown promise at the NHL level in the past.
While Zary is coming off a down 2025-26 season with Calgary, he had 13 goals and 14 assists in just 54 games for Calgary in 2024-25. He also had 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games with the Flames as a rookie in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he has already shown that he can be a solid middle-six forward when playing at his best. With this, he could be a good young player for the Canadiens to take a chance on.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up making a push for Zary during this summer. He could be a nice fit on their second or third line, and this is especially so when noting that he can play down the middle and on the wing.
A long-time rival of the St. Louis Blues, the Minnesota Wild, reportedly made a strong offer to acquire the Blues’ top player and No. 1 center, Robert Thomas.
It was no secret that at the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Blues were willing to listen to offers on most players, including Thomas.
Thomas would have been the major move for the Blues, as no player on their roster would have brought in a better return. While Thomas’ first half of the season was riddled with underwhelming play and injuries, following the trade deadline, Thomas was a different player.
The 26-year-old finished the season with a team-high 25 goals and 64 points in 64 games, but his final 20 games saw him post 12 goals and 27 points.
If an NHL team were able to pull off a trade for Thomas, they would have reaped the benefits.
According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild reportedly offered a package that included goaltender Jesper Wallstedt and center Danila Yurov, but the Blues declined the offer. Russo also believes the Wild could revisit those discussions when Alexander Steen takes over as GM on July 1.
Throughout the season, it was noted that the Utah Mammoth, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings were all interested in acquiring Thomas. Now that the season has concluded, it has been reported that the Ottawa Senators, and now the Wild, were in play for the former 20th overall pick of the 2017 NHL draft.
In the end, it appears that Thomas will remain with the Blues, at least for now. Thomas still has five seasons on his current eight-year, $8.125-million contract, and he is still the focal point of the Blues’ offense.
He formed a strong trio with Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway down the stretch, and the Blues don’t really have a player who can match Thomas’ production and fill in his role.
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When Danila Klimovich took to the ice on October 16, 2021, he was making history along with his Abbotsford Canucks teammates in a new era of the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. Klimovich scored his first North American professional goal that night at the 8:09 mark of the second period, in an eventual 5-3 loss to Stuart Skinner and the Bakersfield Condors.
Just months earlier, with 93 seconds left in a pivotal game five, Klimovich had scored the championship-clinching goal for the Minsk Zubry (Minsk Bison) in the Belarusian Vysshaya Liga, the second league in the Belarus hockey system. Five years later, Klimovich would be known for his clutch goal-scoring on another continent, with Abbotsford fans declaring him the “Klim Reaper,” a nickname the young winger loves.
“When it came out, I was like, 'Oh my God, it’s pretty cool,” Klimovich told The Hockey News earlier this season. “People call me like that ‘cause it means something. It means that I did something like, well, I do something good.”
Klimovich is one of three players left on the roster from the inaugural Abbotsford season, along with Canucks captain Chase Wouters and defenseman Guillame Brisebois. The 2025-26 campaign was a stark drop off for the club, missing the playoffs despite their 2025 Calder Cup win the previous season. Still, Klimovich, now 23, had 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 63 games, just four points shy of his career high (38) set last season.
He was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, their first pick of that year’s draft due to the earlier Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland trade, which sent the Canucks’ first-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes. Expecting to go later in the draft, Klimovich was at a summer training session when he found out about the Canucks’ selection.
“It was exciting, I got drafted and I didn’t expect me to draft that high in the second round,” Klimovich said, “I was looking at [the draft rankings], and they were like third round. I was practising that summer and I was waiting in the locker room for the third round, and the guys were just yelling at me, like, you got in the second round.
“I was so happy, and then just ran to the cafe, where my father was sitting, and we celebrate together.”
Klimovich hails from the southern Belarusian city of Pinsk and grew up playing in their youth system, playing briefly in the southwestern city of Brest as well before moving north to the capital city of Minsk, joining the national under-17 team. Belarus has had 23 players appear in NHL games, including Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo, though less than half of these players have played over 50 games, meaning a lot of attention also turns to players from their hockey superpower neighbour, Russia.
“I mostly looked at Russian players, like Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, and trying to be more like them,” Klimovich said of his idols growing up, “In Belarus, we had a couple of players, like [Mikhail] Grabovski, who played in Toronto. He was really good.”
Grabovski scored 296 points in 534 NHL games over 10 seasons, appearing with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders. After retiring from playing, Grabovski went on to coach Dinamo Minsk in the KHL, which was affiliated with the Minsk Zubry, where Klimovich had played, as well as the Belarusian national team program.
The 2019-20 season was for making waves for the teenage Klimovich, as he moved up through the junior national system, playing at the under-17, -18, and -20 levels. Across the pond, heads were turning towards the young forward, as he was picked by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL in the 2020 CHL Import Draft. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klimovich was not able to come to North America at that point, instead staying in Minsk.
In his draft year, Klimovich scored 52 points (28 goals, 24 assists) in 37 regular-season games with Minsk Zubry, along with 14 points (9 goals, 5 assists) in 12 playoff games. Klimovich also appeared with the Belarusian national team, leading the team in scoring with six goals during the under-18 World Junior Championships, including a hat trick against Switzerland, and played three games in the senior World Championships.
Klimovich made the jump to North America a year later, debuting on the continent at the same time as the franchise he joined. He signed an entry-level contract with the Canucks just days after the draft, moving to a new country to pursue his dream at 18.
“I just wanted to play in North America, it’s my dream to play here and stay here, and make my dream come true to be an NHL player.”
Not only was Klimovich entering a new environment, but so was the Canucks organization, with Abbotsford’s inaugural AHL season. It came a decade after the organization’s AHL-affiliated team moved south of the border, after the newly resurrected Winnipeg Jets took over the Manitoba Moose franchise in 2011.
“When I came here at first, people were like so helpful, and like it’s the same stuff now,” Klimovich commented on his first impressions of the new team. “It was bumpy sometimes, but everybody tried their best, and now we’re a great organization.”
Still, there were certain roadblocks for Klimovich entering professional hockey in another country, especially at such a young age. His first season was not as offensively productive as was likely hoped, with 18 points through 62 games, which he improved upon the following year, reaching 29 points in 67 games in his sophomore season. His third year was a further dip, though, appearing in only 24 games due to injury and healthy scratches, earning just four points over the 2023-24 campaign.
“I would say I put more pressure on myself,” Klimovich said of playing up to higher pick expectations. “It’s good to be drafted that high and of course, like everybody expects something from you, like people, fans, and organizations, especially. But you just need to be the player you are and try to develop from that.”
On the transition to playing in North America, he said, “It was hard. Like the first two years, hard with the English barrier, and now I just only start to get into it more like the last two years. I’m getting better in these things, like, I can understand now, and it’s so much easier for me because back then it was just like, all alone.
“And then, yeah, hockey is different. It’s faster, and it’s more physical than Europe. Europe is more like, I’d say, hold this puck, like control more. Here, it’s like physical dump, like go forecheck, backcheck, like more energetic.”
Despite the language barrier, the Canucks forward has grown to fit into the environment in Abbotsford, saying, “I just get this culture pretty quickly, like all the jokes and all the holidays. It’s amazing. I like Canadian everything, pretty much.”
Klimovich also credited his now-wife, Nastassia, with helping him adjust to Canada and stay grounded during the move to North America.
“My girlfriend came, like, six months later, and we got married here, so she helped me a lot. We’re both trying to like, get into the culture together, it’s really helped me.”
The 2024-25 campaign was good for both the player and the team, as Klimovich hit a career high in points with 38, leading the team in goals with 25 during the regular season. In the run to Abbotsford’s run to the Calder Cup last postseason, Klimovich scored four goals, and all were incredibly consequential; the first was the game-winning goal in game one of Pacific Division semifinals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the second was in double overtime of game four of the Western Conference final against the Texas Stars which gave the Canucks a 3-1 series lead, the third was again in double overtime in game one of the finals against the Charlotte Checkers, and the fourth was the tying goal in the second period of the Calder Cup-winning game.
“We won the [Calder] Cup last year, and to be like the first Canucks team to win anything, it’s big. I’m really proud of what we done last year, and now we just need to build that culture for NHL too,” Klimovich commented on the Calder Cup win with Abbotsford, calling it his highlight with the organization. “It was the greatest team. For me just I think all these goals in the Calder Cup finals are really helpful for the team, and were really proud of what we all done. And then like, I scored in the game six in the finals, I think it’s the biggest highlight and we won after [Linus] Karlsson’s goal.”
Danila Klimovich of the Abbotsford Canucks (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
Klimovich has spent much of his professional and adult life within the Canucks organization and has grown into the player he is now over the last five seasons, leading the Abbotsford franchise in game-winning goals with 15. The 23-year-old right-shot winger is a restricted free agent heading into the offseason, with a qualifying offer of $874,125, as his entry-level contract signed in July 2021 has carried over, and he has yet to appear on Vancouver's ice. Dependent on free agency, preseason outcomes, and impending contract decisions, if the yet-to-be-determined coaching staff wants to promote from within as the organization did for their recent management changes, Klimovich could be an option for a depth forward who is able to score in big moments.
“The Sedins’ work and coaching staff from last year and this year. Like Manny [Malhotra], Harry [Mahesh], Jordan Smith, they’ve been really helpful.” Klimovich said of his influences during his time growing within the organization. “They’ve helped so much to improve my game and improve me as a person. […] I love this culture in Abbotsford, in the Canucks.”
As for what he’s learned over the last five seasons, Klimovich said, “I am still learning to let things go, just better, like quicker. And be more positive, kinda thing. That’s for me is the most because I’m putting, like, pressure on myself and it’s not helping me, so now it’s better.”
And as for advice for his younger self?
“Just stick with it, be positive and have fun. Enjoy the hockey, enjoy the life.”
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Buffalo fans waited 15 years for playoff hockey, only to discover many of them can’t realistically afford to be there.
Playoff Shock
For years, the Sabres positioned themselves as one of the few affordable nights out in professional sports. According to a recent study by Action Network, Buffalo ranked as the cheapest NHL experience for a family of four during the regular season, with an average total cost of just $457.32 at KeyBank Center. In a league where some franchises charge well over $1,000 for a single game night, Buffalo appeared to understand its market better than most.
But the moment playoff hockey finally returned, that image disappeared almost overnight.
After asking fans to endure one of the longest playoff droughts in modern professional sports, the Sabres suddenly shifted from “family affordable” to premium pricing. Fans who stayed loyal through losing seasons were met with immediate sticker shock once postseason tickets became available.
Multiple fans online reported upper-level playoff seats starting around $120 to $150 before fees, while lower-bowl prices quickly climbed toward $500 per ticket on resale sites. For a city that prides itself on being blue-collar and deeply connected to its hockey culture, the reaction was swift.
And honestly, it’s hard not to understand why.
A Blue-Collar Fanbase Hits Its Breaking Point
These are fans who sat through multiple rebuilds, watched games surrounded by empty seats, and still kept buying jerseys and supporting the team in the hope that meaningful hockey would eventually return. Buffalo remained loyal through coaching changes, front-office shakeups, and years of disappointment because people believed the payoff would someday come.
Playoff hockey was supposed to feel like a reward.
Instead, for many families, it became another reminder that live sports are increasingly becoming inaccessible to the very people who care the most.
And when you compare Buffalo’s prices to other playoff markets, the frustration only grows. One circulating graphic on social media showed Sabres playoff ticket prices dramatically higher than teams like the Edmonton Oilers and even the Montreal Canadiens — one of hockey’s most historic Original Six franchises. That’s where many fans feel the disconnect begins.
If you think I'm misleading you, take a look for yourself. This is insanity.
Buffalo is not a massive corporate market overflowing with luxury buyers. It’s a passionate hockey city built on working-class fans. Pricing ordinary people out of the building risks creating an atmosphere where the most loyal supporters are replaced by whoever can simply afford the experience.
What makes the situation sting even more is that the Sabres clearly understand affordability matters in Buffalo. The regular-season numbers prove it. They marketed accessibility because they knew it resonated with the fanbase. But the moment demand surged, so did the prices.
Fans online described standard tickets disappearing within minutes before resale listings flooded the market. Others questioned why a team that struggled to consistently fill seats for years suddenly began operating like a luxury product the second it became relevant again.
There’s a difference between normal playoff pricing and outright gouging. Nobody expects postseason tickets to cost the same as a random Tuesday night game in January. But when the NHL’s cheapest regular-season experience suddenly becomes inaccessible the moment the games actually matter, criticism is fair.
Buffalo fans spent over a decade waiting for this moment.
A lot of them are now watching from home instead — and honestly, that may be the smarter financial decision. A beer in your own fridge costs a fraction of arena prices, and the couch doesn’t come with hundreds of dollars in ticket fees attached. More importantly, fans shouldn’t feel punished financially for wanting to celebrate the return of meaningful hockey in their city.
The Countdown - Mar. 20 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 9 - Jared Clinton
THERE ARE GREY-BEARDED springtime warriors – and then there’s Corey Perry.
For the past 20 years, Perry has been a playoff fixture. Debuting in the post-season in 2006 as a member of the Ducks, he helped Anaheim to a Stanley Cup the following season. Since then, only three campaigns have passed without Perry in the post-season conversation.
In recent years, in particular, Perry has become a focal point. He’s been to the Cup final – on the losing side – in five of the past six seasons. What began with surprising runs to consecutive finals with the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens turned into a failed attempt at helping the Tampa Bay Lightning three-peat in 2022 before back-to-back heartbreaks with the Edmonton Oilers.
Last spring, he surpassed Mark Messier for third on the all-time playoff games played ledger, and Perry’s 237 playoff games are tops among active players. Put another way: Perry has seen more playoff action than the totality of the Philadelphia Flyers’ roster. However, he will still need at least two more playoff runs if he hopes to chase down Hall of Famers Chris Chelios (266) and Nicklas Lidstrom (263) on the all-time list.
Still, Perry’s playoff resume is padded enough that simply acquiring him helped the Lightning leap into the second spot on our Countdown, which explores the collective playoff experience on the roster of each NHL club.
*All totals are based on NHL rosters as of March 9 and include players on LTIR who have or might play this season
1 FLORIDA PANTHERS
1,510 GAMES PLAYED
Ten Cats were present for all three Cup final runs, totalling 659 games. They alone would rank 20th on this list.
2 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
1,506 GAMES PLAYED
Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman have 366 games. The rest of the ‘D’? 115. There’s a chasm in experience.
3 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
1,336 GAMES PLAYED
He’s a forgotten man, but Brandon Saad sits above all but three Golden Knights with 111 career post-season outings.
4 DALLAS STARS
1,313 GAMES PLAYED
Sauna culture is strong in Dallas. Among active Finns, Stars have four of the five most tenured playoff performers.
5 COLORADO AVALANCHE
1,276 GAMES PLAYED
At 135 games, no active player has more playoff experience without a Cup ring than beloved blueliner Brent Burns.
6 CAROLINA HURRICANES
1,184 GAMES PLAYED
Jordan Staal leads in playoff games. Surprisingly, next in line isn’t a top talent but depth guy William Carrier.
7 EDMONTON OILERS
1,161 GAMES PLAYED
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and ‘RNH’ have played in every single Oilers playoff game since 2016-17.
8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
1,102 GAMES PLAYED
A deep run could see Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin cross the 200-game mark. Unlikely, but it’s not impossible.
9 MINNESOTA WILD
975 GAMES PLAYED
Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko have more individual playoff games than Wild do as a franchise.
10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS
948 GAMES PLAYED
The rapid turnaround has been guided by Matthew Schaefer. He’ll be among a few Isles making playoff debuts.
11 WINNIPEG JETS
940 GAMES PLAYED
Stark reminder that experience isn’t everything. Veteran-laden Jets took nosedive after 2025 Presidents’ Trophy.
12 LOS ANGELES KINGS
887 GAMES PLAYED
Caught between buying and selling, Kings exited the deadline with a more inexperienced outfit than they had prior.
13 SEATTLE KRAKEN
813 GAMES PLAYED
Collective push up the rankings could be in the offing, as Kraken battle for franchise’s second trip to post-season.
14 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
812 GAMES PLAYED
On a star-studded roster, bottom-six plugger Calle Jarnkrok is the Leafs’ clubhouse leader in playoff appearances.
15 SAN JOSE SHARKS
770 GAMES PLAYED
Of the 24 players on the roster post-deadline, exactly half have never seen a second of big-league playoff action.
16 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
769 GAMES PLAYED
Other than Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg, no Preds skater has played more than eight playoff games with Nashville.
17 ANAHEIM DUCKS
686 GAMES PLAYED
The stunning deadline addition of John Carlson boosted the back end and gave Ducks title-winning experience.
18 DETROIT RED WINGS
678 GAMES PLAYED
The lone homegrown Red Wing with playoff games to his name is Dylan Larkin. He played five in 2016.
19 WASHINGTON CAPITALS
665 GAMES PLAYED
Ryan Leonard had only celebrated his third birthday by the time Alex Ovechkin played his first post-season game.
20 NEW YORK RANGERS
654 GAMES PLAYED
Pending reset and possible off-season clear out could see Rangers move a great number of battle-tested talents.
21 BOSTON BRUINS
651 GAMES PLAYED
Franchise has had 13 players reach 100 playoff games. Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak will be next to hit mark.
22 NEW JERSEY DEVILS
631 GAMES PLAYED
The current core – Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Hughes brothers – has combined to play merely 56 playoff games.
23 UTAH MAMMOTH
597 GAMES PLAYED
Utah overjoyed with MacKenzie Weegar acquisition, but Mammoth lost 65 games of playoff experience in the deal.
24 OTTAWA SENATORS
539 GAMES PLAYED
For a dozen Sens, their lone playoff experience is last year’s six-game first-round defeat at hands of rival Leafs.
Are Blues primed to plummet down this list? As talk of teardown persists, vultures circle St. Louis’ top talents.
26 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
532 GAMES PLAYED
Charlie Coyle debuted 12 years after the Jackets. He’s played three times as many playoff games as the franchise.
27 MONTREAL CANADIENS
472 GAMES PLAYED
With Phillip Danault returning, six of the Habs’ skaters were present for the stunning run to bubble final in 2021.
28 CALGARY FLAMES
457 GAMES PLAYED
Whether you call it a retool, rebuild or ‘rebiggle,’ the message is clear: Calgary plans to overhaul roster to right the ship.
29 VANCOUVER CANUCKS
418 GAMES PLAYED
Hard to believe Elias Pettersson’s playoff resume is just 30 games. The question is: will he play another in Vancouver?
30 BUFFALO SABRES
387 GAMES PLAYED
Last Sabres draft picks to skate in playoff games for Buffalo? Tyler Myers, now 36, and recent retiree Tyler Ennis.
31 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
372 GAMES PLAYED
Though Teuvo Teravainen won a Cup as a Hawk, the bulk of his post-season play came during his time in Carolina.
32 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
208 GAMES PLAYED
The franchise’s reset is such that waiver-wire add Luke Glendening, at 50 games, is the most playoff-tested Flyer.
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Holloway, 24, gave Canada a 3-2 lead in the second period on a short side wrister from the high slot after Sweden had tied the game after falling behind 2-0:
Holloway, who skated on a line with Blues Stanley Cup champion and Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly, who also scored, and Gabriel Vilardi (Winnipeg Jets), finished the game with three shots on goal and a plus-1 in 12:35 of ice time.
Blues center Robert Thomas assisted on Canada's first goal scored by John Tavares (Toronto Maple Leafs) in the first period:
Thomas, who centered a line with Tavares and Dylan Cozens (Ottawa Senators), played 12:27 and was a plus-1 with two shots on goal.
Oskar Sundqvist was Sweden's third line center and played 16:24 with a shot on goal and a munis-2.
Love Harenstam, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was the extra goalie and did not suit up.
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The Montreal Canadiens can advance to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win over the Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre on Saturday, May 16.
My top Sabres vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks expect Montreal star Lane Hutson to play a pivotal role in sending Buffalo packing in Game 6.
Sabres vs Canadiens Game 6 prediction
Sabres vs Canadiens best bet: Lane Hutson Over 1.5 shots (-125)
Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Lane Hutson has been held to just a pair of shots despite recording 11 attempts over the past three games, and that 18.2% conversion rate is miles behind his 38.3% mark through the first nine games of the postseason.
In addition to Hutson’s overall 66 attempts pacing the club during the playoffs, his 44 offensive-zone starts and 51.0 Corsi for percentage at five-on-five also lead the Habs.
With Montreal having the last-change advantage on home ice, I’m anticipating head coach Martin St. Louis to find even more opportunities to deploy his go-to defenseman in prime offensive situations.
Montreal has also been the better team on both special teams while outscoring Buffalo 19-9 and generating 55.2% of the expected goals percentage the past three games.
Turning to rising Montreal star Ivan Demidov, he’s marked the scoresheet in four of the past five games with a 58.7 xGF% at five-on-five for the series.
The Canadiens have won 17 of their last 25 games (+8.10 Units / 26% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Sabres vs Canadiens Game 6
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet, ABC
Sabres vs Canadiens latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
With three of the final four teams locked in for the 2026 Conference Finals, the NHL has released tentative schedules for the upcoming round.
The Hurricanes are currently awaiting the winner between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, but they know that they'll either start on Tuesday or Thursday depending on if that series ends in six games or seven.
The Canadiens currently lead the series 3-2 and if they win again on Saturday, here's how the Eastern Conference Final will play out: Game 1: Tuesday, May 19 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Saturday, May 23 (Bell Centre) Game 4: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre) Game 5: Wednesday, May 27(Lenovo Center) Game 6: Friday, May 29 (Bell Centre) Game 7: Sunday, May 31 (Lenovo Center)
However, if Buffalo forces a Game 7, then this is how the schedule will go, regardless of which team advances:
Game 1: Thursday, May 21 (Lenovo Center) Game 2: Saturday, May 23 (Lenovo Center) Game 3: Monday, May 25 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 4: Wednesday, May 27 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 5: Friday, May 29 (Lenovo Center) Game 6: Sunday, May 31 (Bell Centre/KeyBank Center) Game 7: Tuesday, June 2 (Lenovo Center)
No start times gave been decided yet and the broadcast will be exclusively carried by TNT (truTV, HBO MAX) in the U.S. and on Sportsnet, CBC and TVAS in Canada.
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The Las Vegas Golden Knights are moving on to the Western Conference Finals where they run head-first into the Colorado Avalanche blender. Still, we shouldn’t let the future distract us from the fact that Mitch Marner didn’t just have the best goal of these Stanley Cup Playoffs, but one of the greatest goals of all time.
This is simply anotherworldly level of skill with the puck work. Not only does Marner have Lacombe draped all over him while he’s on the way to the net, but he has the wherewithal to skate backwards, get low in his stance — and then, well, he becomes a magician. Marner fakes stick side, takes the puck between his legs to go glove side, and dekes between his friggin’ legs to avoid Lacombe and slot the puck in behind the goalie’s legs.
It’s an incredible representation of hockey’s duality. One second you’ll have the bruising, the fights, the angst of it all — then the next one of the prettiest things you’ll see in any sport.
Manon Rhéaume has been hired as general manager of the PWHL’s new expansion franchise in Detroit, the league announced on Friday.
The 54-year-old former Canadian national team goaltender is a two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist and one of the most influential figures in women’s hockey history.
Rhéaume is the only woman to have ever played in the NHL, suiting up in preseason exhibition games in 1992 and 1993 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. She also became the first woman to have her own hockey card in 1992.
Her role in the PWHL marks a new chapter, and Rhéaume’s first in women’s pro hockey.
“Manon is a pioneer whose impact on the game extends far beyond the ice,” said Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice president of hockey operations. “She brings an unmatched hockey resume, a championship mindset, and a lifelong commitment to growing the women’s game.
“Her experience at every level of hockey, combined with her leadership and vision, makes her the perfect person to lead PWHL Detroit into its inaugural season.”
Rhéaume spent the last four seasons in hockey operations with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and has worked with the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club for 11 years, providing mentorship, development and leadership for girl hockey players in the Detroit area.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the PWHL and help build something special in Detroit,” Rhéaume said. “This city has such a deep hockey tradition, and the passion for hockey here is truly special.
“The growth of women’s hockey has been incredible to watch, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport alongside the PWHL. I can’t wait to get started and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud of.”
The PWHL announced last week that it would expand to Detroit for the 2026-27 season, with additional expansion teams in Las Vegas and Hamilton revealed Wednesday. PWHL Detroit will play at Little Caesars Arena, home of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
Rhéaume will assemble PWHL Detroit’s inaugural 2026-27 roster through the league’s expansion roster-building process and via the 2026 PWHL Draft, which will be hosted at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on June 17.
The PWHL Players Association sent its members a guide to the expansion roster-building process that included multiple signing windows and no traditional expansion draft. In Friday’s news release, the league said: “All phases of the comprehensive roster building process will be finalized and announced by the league in the coming weeks.”
The expansion process, laid out by the PWHLPA document, is tentatively set to begin May 28.
Following the league’s announcement of Rhéaume, Dominique DiDia of CAA Sports was also named general manager for PWHL Las Vegas.
“Dominique brings a unique combination of experience as a player, hockey executive, and advocate for the women’s game,” said Hefford. “She understands the evolving landscape of women’s hockey and has a strong vision for building a team and culture that reflects both the ambition of the PWHL and the energy of the Las Vegas market. We’re excited to have her leading this next chapter for our league.”
Toronto Sceptres, Minnesota Frost, Vancouver Goldeneyes, New York Sirens, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, Seattle Torrent, Boston Fleet, NHL, Women's Hockey
Former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy has been regarded as the No. 1 candidate available to coach next season.
However, on Friday's episode of Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman shared that he doesn't believe Cassidy will be the most likely candidate to be named the Maple Leafs' 42nd head coach in franchise history.
"I do think (Toronto will) reach out to talk to Cassidy," Friedman said. "But… I'd say it's extremely unlikely he's going to end up being the guy in Toronto."
The NHL insider continued to describe what the Maple Leafs organization may be looking into in terms of who their next bench boss will be.
"I do think they are prepared to go fresh," he said.
TSN's Darren Dreger made the same report on Thursday evening on OverDrive. Dreger said that Toronto's next hire could be in the realm of someone who is "young and relatively inexperienced from a professional perspective."
One candidate that fits the criteria of a young, inexperienced, fresh face is AHL Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra. Along with Malhotra, Friedman listed a couple of other new faces who could be considered.
"I think Malhotra, very legitimate candidate," he said. "I think Woodcroft, potentially a candidate. I do think, if David Carle wanted to talk to them, I think he would be a candidate, and there's going to be others."
He also mentioned Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden as someone who is having success, leading his team to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs and winning Game 1 against the Cleveland Monsters.
But as for Cassidy, and what seems like any well-known veteran bench boss, reports indicate that won't be the path the Maple Leafs go down in this off-season.
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While there haven’t been many surprises in the NHL Trophy finalists announced over the course of the last 10 days, I was shocked to see that Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes wasn’t a finalist for the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award. Not that Bill Guerin, Pat Verbeek and Chris MacFarland are not worthy finalists, but it’s hard to imagine what the Montreal Canadiens GM could have done better in the 2025-26 season.
The executive started his summer with a slam dunk, finally acquiring a top-pairing right-shot defenseman at the draft in a deal with the New York Islanders. He had to sacrifice his two first-round picks in the process, but he made another trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to move up in the second round and get the 34th overall pick. With that pick, he drafted Alexander Zharovsky, the player Montreal wanted in the first round.
Then, on July 1st, he sent right-shot defenseman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues in return for Zachary Bolduc, a good young player to bring some much-needed depth up front and make some room on the blueline for other prospects.
A few days into the regular season, he signed star blueliner Lane Hutson to an eight-year contract with an $8,850,000 team-friendly cap hit, especially considering how the cap is set to go up in the coming years. That contract will soon become a steal for the Canadiens.
Five weeks later, he smelt a good opportunity when Alexandre Texier’s contract with the Blues was terminated, roughly 10 days after the Canadiens had lost Alex Newhook to an injury. Pleased with the early return on his $1 million investment, the GM signed him to a two-year contract extension on January 14, with a $2.5 million cap hit. The Frenchman finished the season with 20 points in 43 games and has proven more than capable of providing depth scoring in the playoffs.
Just before the Christmas trade freeze, Hughes went out and acquired veteran center Phillip Danault in return for a second-round pick. The Quebecer was struggling with the Los Angeles Kings, but Hughes figured he could use a fresh start at home. He finished the season with 12 points in 45 games, but he has proven invaluable to the Canadiens at the faceoff dot with a 56.2 winning percentage in the regular season. During the playoffs, he has recorded 3 assists in 11 games and maintained a 59.9% success rate on draws.
With those two acquisitions, the GM bolstered his roster and gave it some much-needed depth, even causing respected veteran Brendan Gallagher to be a healthy scratch at the tail end of the season and in the playoffs. A tough decision, but one Martin St-Louis had to make.
Perhaps Hughes’ candidacy was weakened by the fact that he didn’t get any reinforcements at the trade deadline, but the truth of the matter is that he had already gotten some earlier in the season.
Finally, the fact that the young Habs are in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs just four years into their rebuild speaks to how well this team has been put together. Voting for this award was conducted among the NHL general managers and a panel of League executives and media at the conclusion of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is why the playoff run should have had an impact. However, the three finalists’ teams have also made it to the second round, which might have helped their own candidacy. I’m looking forward to the winner’s announcement to see how the voting went.
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Good morning, hockey folks! So, the Ducks got cooked, the Habs are one “W” from rounding out our 2026 NHL final four, and the PWHL finals opened with some OT heroics. The 100th edition of Red Light 🚨 is here.
Let’s go.
Conference Finals Loom
We’re getting awfully close to knowing what Round 3 will look like now, so much so that the schedule has already been released. Let’s get you caught up on what you might have missed last night.
Golden Knights 5, Ducks 1
Vegas wins series 4-2
My goodness, Mitch Marner. I know the plucky young Ducks have been playing with some newfound swagger all season, but did you really need to end their fun while stealing their soul, Shang Tsung style, with a move this crushing?
Marner was dancing around the Honda Center ice all night, putting up a goal and an assist early in what unfortunately became a bit of a laugher. The former Maple Leaf extended his NHL postseason scoring lead to three points with 18 in 12 games, and he’s now through to the conference final for the first time in his career. But the champions of the Pacific Division Pillow Fight will have their hands full with the powerhouse Avalanche.
Hey, full marks to the Golden Marners for making it look relatively easy so far, but forgive the rest of the hockey world for some skepticism that they can give Colorado a real push after the unevenness of 13th-place Vegas’ season. (Counterpoint: All three meetings between them were very tight during the regular season, with two going to overtime. So … maybe?)
That series begins Wednesday in Denver. It could be the first game of Round 3, depending on what happens in Game 6 over in the East.
More:
The Golden Knights have reached the NHL’s final four for the fifth time in nine seasons, the most of any team since 2017.
Vegas’ “swagger” is definitely back.
Despite the loss, the Ducks made remarkable progress this season.
Canadiens 6, Sabres 3
Montreal leads series 3-2
We need at least one Game 7 in this round, don’t we? This feels like the series to deliver it. (Especially given how, you know, all the other series are already over. Plus, we already had series end in a sweep, five games and six games, so seven completes the set.)
Buffalo jumped to a 3-2 lead 10 minutes into Game 5, getting the Sabres’ home crowd and its beer sabres, uh, jumping. But the Habs responded with four unanswered goals, including rookie Ivan “The Demigod” Demidov’s first-ever playoff tally to close the scoring on the power play.
Now, all the pressure is on the Sabres, who will have to find a way to win in the Bell Centre madhouse in a do-or-die Game 6 tomorrow. They’ve got a big question in net, too, after a rough night for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was pulled for Alex Lyon.
That said, the Sabres have proven people wrong all year; now’s the time to show what they’re made of after a special season.
So much to learn from this one:
Habs coach Martin St. Louis was rewarded for sticking with Jakub Dobeš, who allowed goals on three straight shots but stopped all 32 after that.
Electric young talents Lane Hutson and Demidov are the center of Canadiens’ present (and future) success.
St. Louis and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff have differing approaches to NHL playoff mind games. Fascinating.
Alex Tuch and Buffalo’s other top players let the Sabres down.
PWHL Finals
Victoire 3, Charge 2 (OT)
Montreal leads series 1-0
Montreal hockey fans certainly have a lot to cheer about right now.
Their Abby Roque was the hero in Game 1 of the Walter Cup Finals, scoring her second of the night in overtime to cap a dramatic comeback after the Victoire tied the score with 2.1 seconds left in regulation.
Poor Ottawa needs to memory-wipe this one as quickly as it can — this series is only best-of-five.
Hailey Salvian was in Laval last night with the scoop as Game 2 goes tomorrow. The good news is that it’s an afternoon game, so fans can make it a PWHL-NHL doubleheader.
Newsplosion
Firings, hirings, endings
As more teams are eliminated, the headlines only grow outside the playoffs.
Yesterday, there was the second bloodletting for a Canadian team in two days, with the reeling Oilers firing coach Kris Knoblauch. (ICYMI: The Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube on Wednesday.)
Awkwardly, the Knoblauch news came after it was reported the Oilers had inquired about the availability of former Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, which sources say is never a great sign for someone’s job security. But who should they hire?
Elsewhere, the last-place and third-pick-owning Canucks unveiled their new brain trust: Club legends and twin brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin as, I’m guessing, the first-ever co-presidents of hockey ops (which I’m told the kids are calling CoPoHos), and Ryan Johnson as GM.
The vibes seemed remarkably good coming out of that presser — even the Sad Club Commish was impressed — so we’ll allow Vancouver a rare win to celebrate, even if that’s a crew fairly low on front-office experience.
Meanwhile, the postmortems keep rolling in for teams that have been wiped out of the playoffs … and one that didn’t even make them.
Mike Russo and Joe Smith break down what will be a tough summer for the Wild as they try to join the ranks of true contenders after a five-game humbling at the hands of the Avs. I often feel like one of the hardest things to do in the NHL is to go from good to great; that’s the real challenge facing GM Bill Guerin with his club because good doesn’t win Cups.
Speaking of which: Do the Flyers need to make a big swing now to take the next step? Or should Danny Brière keep preaching patience?
In other tough calls in Pennsylvania news: Penguins GM Kyle Dubas likely has to make a few and break some old-guy hearts.
Reading this, I’m not sure any fanbase is angrier than the Rangers’ right now. Can you blame them?
💡 MirTrivia Question
What a run for Jakub Dobeš this postseason. After last night, the Habs netminder is now up to seven wins, tied for fifth-most for a rookie goalie in a single playoffs in the salary-cap era.
Can you name the four rookie goalies ahead of him?
(Hint: Three won the Stanley Cup. And the fourth was eliminated in the conference finals by one of those rookies who won it all.)
Answers at the bottom.
Coast to Coast
🏒 Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who has played just two NHL seasons, will remain captain of Team Canada at the worlds, even with 38-year-old Sidney Crosby, who has played 21 NHL seasons, on hand. I wonder if he’ll make Crosby pick up pucks.
👏 Good stuff here from other NHL legends on Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer’s historic season. What a lovely story he was all year; check out his appearance on “GMA” earlier this week to see what I’m talking about. Here’s hoping he gets to show what he can do in the playoffs next season.
💸 The Blackhawks signed the KHL’s leading goal scorer to an entry-level deal. Can Roman Kantserov, the first 21-year-old to lead the league in goals since Kirill Kaprizov in 2018-19, make an immediate impact in the NHL?
✅ Our latest Stanley Cup contender checklist focuses on the Flames, who need just about everything except a goalie right now.
😱 I wrote a thingy that includes this shocking stat: Just one goalie in the top 19 in salary this season started a game in Round 2. So, is this success of cheaper, tandem goalies a trend or a blip?
🎤 In the latest “The Athletic Hockey Show,” our crew was joined by Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky, who hasn’t had anything to do for a while as his team awaits an opponent. Plus, the Oilers coaching carousel, PWHL final talk and the inevitable Avs. Watch/listen here.
MirTrivia Answer
So, who are the four rookies with more than Dobeš’ seven wins in a cap-era postseason? The three goalies who won the Cup as freshmen are:
Cam Ward, Carolina, 2005-06: 15 wins
Matt Murray, Pittsburgh, 2015-16: 15 wins
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis, 2018-19: 16 wins
(Yes, somehow Binnington was a rookie seven years ago. Now he’s old. NHL timelines are unforgiving.)
The fourth goalie, who lost to one of the above? It was Ryan Miller with the Sabres, who faced Ward in a very memorable matchup. At the time, it was the first conference final between rookie goalies since 1981.
Miller ended his run with 11 wins, the most he would ever get in a postseason.
How are we doing? We’d love to hear from you. Email your feedback, questions or comments to redlight@theathletic.com.
Manon Rhéaume has been hired as general manager of the PWHL’s new expansion franchise in Detroit, the league announced on Friday.
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