Benson breaks tie on birthday,
Sabres beat Canadiens 3-2 in Game 4 to even series
[May 13, 2026]
MONTREAL (AP) — Zach Benson broke a tie on a third-period
power play on his 21st birthday and the Buffalo Sabres beat the
Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Tuesday night in Game 4 to even the
Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Benson took a pass in the slot from Josh Doan, kicked the puck to
his stick and put a backhander past goalie Jakub Dobes at 4:41 of
the third. The goal came with Jake Evans off for holding Peyton
Krebs.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Buffalo, with Game 6 in Montreal on
Saturday night. The series winner will face Carolina in the Eastern
Conference final. The Hurricanes swept both of their series.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Alex Lyon in goal after the Sabres
dropped Games 2 and 3, making 28 saves in his first action since
being pulled in the third period of a Game 2 loss to Boston in the
first round.
“At this point of the year, it doesn’t matter to me (if I start). As
long as we win, that’s the most important thing,” Luukkonen said.
“It feels good to come in and be able to help the team to win, too.”
Tage Thompson tied it for Buffalo in the second period with a fluke
goal and also had an assist. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened
the scoring and Doan had two assists.
Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield scored for Montreal. Dobes stopped 19
shots.
“Broke them down a bunch, had our looks, goalie made some big saves
and that kept him in it,” Caufield said. “Thought we played a pretty
good game. There’s some things that we can always get better at, but
to see a fluke goal like that go in, it’s obviously not the bounce
you want.”
Thompson tied it at 2 on four-minute power play seven minutes into
the second when his dump-in from just over center ice deflected off
the glass in the left corner to the crease and bounced in off Dobes’
right leg.
“I’ll take it,” he said. “It’s a nice feeling when you see that.”
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Buffalo Sabres' Zach Benson (6) celebrates his goal over Montreal
Canadiens with teammate Rasmus Dahlin (26) during third period,
second round, game 4, NHL playoff action in Montreal on Tuesday, May
12, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
Buffalo got the extended power play when Montreal’s
Alexandre Carrier was called for the double minor after
high-sticking and cutting Rasmus Dahlin.
The Canadiens failed to take advantage of a four-minute power play
of their own after Bowen Byram was sent off for high-sticking
Alexandre Texier late in the second period. Montreal was 1 for 7 on
the power play.
Buffalo opened the scoring on Samuelsson’s goal at 6:32 of the first
period, and appeared it make it 2-0 1:30 later when a video review
confirmed Jack Quinn’s shot crossed the goal line inside Dobes’
glove, However, Montreal successfully challenged for goalie
interference on Konsta Helenius.
“Which I totally disagree with,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Just
for the fact that Dobes always is swinging his stick. He initiated
the contact with Helenius … I really thought that that was going our
way.”
Newhook then tied it at 1 with 9:52 left in the first with his fifth
goal of the series and sixth of the playoffs. Caufield gave the
Canadiens the lead with 13 seconds to go in the period, beating
Luukkonen from close range on a power play.
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