Canadiens close in on conference final after beating Sabres to take 3-2 lead

[p]Both teams went into the contest having won at home and on the road in the series.[/p][p]The Habs, who have now won their last two in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/buffalo-sabres/UobjtMIP/"]Buffalo[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/montreal-canadiens-nu2G7VWc/?mid=GQdytwDj"]went behind just two minutes in[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quinn-jack/OdqJSbeb/"]Jack Quinn[/a] went for goal, shooting into a flurry of bodies. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zucker-jason/YHBrijkd/"]Jason Zucker[/a] got credit for the goal, as the puck came off his leg and went in.[/p][embed guid="6ac8255e-b940-4985-96c1-255cedc8e69f" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055065317827612951?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/montreal-canadiens/nu2G7VWc/"]Montreal[/a] took four and a half minutes to tie the score, following a giveaway from the Sabres in their own half. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/slafkovsky-juraj/ATgrbSxq/"]Juraj Slafkovsky[/a] played in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suzuki-nick/AwFYM8lT/"]Nick Suzuki[/a], who was in on goal. He picked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caufield-cole/OMWDW69Q/"]Cole Caufield[/a], finishing close inside to tie things up.[/p][embed guid="970bb283-93d8-4941-afec-6db4a8a35c09" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055067447254737275?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The back-and-forth opening frame saw the sides trade shots, with the hosts going back in front through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doan-josh/pG6qdpCp/"]Josh Doan[/a], who fired from a bit inside the blue line. Again, there were several players who blocked the goaltender's vision, with the effort finding the back of the net.[/p][embed guid="5995620b-0c1c-4641-b910-998a61ee417f" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055069289091105041?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]This time, Buffalo's lead lasted a mere nine seconds, as right after face-off, the Habs got their second of the night. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/texier-alexandre/zwYLoXr4/"]Alexandre Texier[/a] was the one to tip [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carrier-alexandre/tzeDxZab/"]Alexandre Carrier[/a]'s shot into the net.[/p][embed guid="80120664-bbc9-4f21-8053-1770cfb93211" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055069289091105041?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The scoring did not stop there, as midway through the period, the Sabres retook the lead. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/helenius-konsta/CCkpmIQp/"]Konsta Helenius[/a] initially miscontrolled [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samuelsson-mattias/ML8sCJsA/"]Mattias Samuelsson[/a]'s pass, but recovered well to put his shot between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dobes-jakub/0W5FnU82/"]Jakub Dobes[/a]' legs and in.[/p][embed guid="cccd5a1e-9458-471a-8378-1fd316bfb3d7" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055069776645406885?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Despite outshooting Buffalo 11-7, it was Montreal who went into the first intermission behind. All of the goals came in the first 10:15 of what was a chaotic period of hockey.[/p][p]After a slower start to the second frame, the Habs levelled for the third time. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anderson-josh/UHtqXNeh/"]Josh Anderson[/a] received a centering pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hutson-lane/n5Cwy6Xg/"]Lane Hutson[/a], before converting into an open net.[/p][embed guid="120efc6f-b2e5-4fde-8835-73e911d61652" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055082729440456795?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Canadiens, who had 23 attempts in the first two periods, went in front for the first time when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/demidov-ivan/pdts9jU5/"]Ivan Demidov[/a]'s shot from the wing found a way past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luukkonen-ukko-pekka/zmFi40uk/"]Pekka-Ukko Luukkonen[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/evans-jake/URwCeNtq/"]Jake Evans[/a] was on hand to tap it home.[/p][embed guid="50fcb14e-d7b7-4780-8cbf-476a9e491d61" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055089335398023196?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Pressure was starting to tell on the Sabres, who went into this one 2-3 at home the playoffs. It got worse for them a minute and change later, when they had to try and kill a Montreal power play. Despite having a difficult angle to go for goal, Suzuki still fired a shot that found the opposite side of the net to make it 5-3.[/p][p]Much of the third period saw Buffalo try to find a goal to get back into the game. Unfortunately for them, they could not finish off any of their 19 shots on net.[/p][p]While they only had three efforts in the final 20 minutes, it was the Habs who scored once again. Demidov was back at it, as he fired from point-blank range to get his first playoff goal.[/p][embed guid="6aeb5fc4-5f3b-4955-8d2d-b2b08b168c91" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2055095905934586150?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Montreal held onto the lead for the remainder of the period as they go up 3-2 in the series. They will have a chance to advance on Saturday as the teams return to Canada for the final time in the series. [/p][embed guid="21b99ad6-009f-425c-aee5-07c7f4748d96" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTCW_edIJu0" social-type="youtube" /]