Buffalo Sabres
· 2026-06-29
The Buffalo Sabres forced a deciding Game 7 with an 8-3 win in Game 6 at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday.
Buffalo forward Tage Thompson expressed excitement about playing in his first career Game 7.
The Sabres trailed the best-of-7 series 3-2 before the Game 6 win.
The winner of Game 7 will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, with Carolina currently 8-0 in the playoffs.
Buffalo has played in seven Game 7s, with its lone win coming against the Ottawa Senators in overtime in the 1997 Conference Quarterfinals.
Tage Thompson said the Sabres need to focus on playing a shift at a time and simplifying their game to win Game 7.
Forwards Tanner Pearson, Ryan McLeod, and Alex Tuch have played in the most Game 7s among Buffalo skaters.
As of their last result on 2026-05-18, the Buffalo Sabres lost 2-3 to the Montreal Canadiens and are currently on a L1 streak with a 50-23 record, standing 2nd in the Eastern Conference.
The Sabres will look to improve their record and advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has not played in a Game 7, while Lindy Ruff has coached in five.
The Canadiens have won their past three road Game 7s and six of their past seven winner-take-all games away from home.