The Montreal Canadiens dispatched the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games, advancing to face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round. After a tightly contested series, goaltending proved to be the deciding factor.
Jakob Dobes outplayed Andrei Vasilevskiy throughout the series, making 28 saves in Game 7 to secure the victory. When two teams are this close in quality, goaltending becomes the difference maker come playoff time.
The Canadiens won the even-strength scoring battle 11-to-10, while both teams netted five power-play goals. Tampa Bay dominated puck possession, especially in the finale, but Dobes' performance was enough to get the job done.
Top Line Needs to Step Up
Montreal will need more from their star trio if they want to upset the Buffalo Sabres in round two. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky formed one of the league's deadliest lines all season long.
That was not the case against Tampa Bay. The Lightning threw a heavy dose of Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Nikita Kucherov against Montreal's top line and had tremendous success. The Canadiens' top trio finished four goals underwater in the series.
Fortunately for Montreal, their depth came through when needed most. Kirby Dach, Alex Texier, and Zach Bolduc outscored Tampa Bay 6-0 in their minutes, carrying the team to victory.
Buffalo Presents Different Challenge
Buffalo may not have an elite five-man matchup unit like Tampa Bay, but they possess incredible depth and can roll three lines and three pairings confidently. The Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins in the first round and will be a formidable opponent.
You won't find many lineups deeper than Buffalo's group. That depth will create problems for Montreal's supporting cast as well. The Canadiens survived the first round on elite goaltending and depth scoring, but advancing further will require their star trio to reclaim their dominance.