Montreal hosted Buffalo for Game 4 at 7:00 p.m. EDT on May 12 with the Canadiens holding a 2-1 series lead and entering as minus-140 favorites against the Sabres at plus-116. Jakub Dobes was back in net looking for a third straight win after stopping 54 of 57 shots over his previous two games.
Dobes had been one of the steadier figures in the series, carrying a.947 save percentage across that two-game run and allowing 11 goals on 175 shots over his past six games, a stretch that still left him with a 2.55 goals-against average and a.905 save percentage. Montreal also had some offensive momentum coming in. Alex Newhook had scored two goals in each of his previous two outings, Kirby Dach had four goals and five points over his past eight appearances, and Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist on Sunday to end a five-game scoring drought. Juraj Slafkovsky added a goal and an assist over his past three appearances, while Nick Suzuki had three goals and nine points in 10 playoff outings.
Buffalo had its own form lines to lean on. Mitch Marner came in with six goals and a league-leading 16 points in 10 playoff appearances, including three goals and seven points over his previous two games. William Karlsson had an assist in each of his past two outings after returning May 4 for the first time since Nov. 8 because of a lower-body injury. Brett Howden, meanwhile, had seven goals and nine points across his past seven appearances.
The matchup was one of two second-round games on the night, with the Canadiens trying to protect a series edge they had earned by taking Game 3 and the Sabres trying to level things before the matchup shifted again. The same slate also carried DFS player recommendations for Montreal, Buffalo and a separate Vegas-Anaheim game, but Game 4 in Montreal was the centerpiece: one team with control, one team needing a response, and a goaltender on the home side trying to keep the night from changing shape fast.
For the Canadiens, the next step was straightforward. Keep the pace manageable, keep Dobes seeing pucks cleanly and let the recent production from Newhook, Caufield and Suzuki do enough to hold the advantage. For Buffalo, the pressure was sharper, because trailing 2-1 on the road left little room for another slow start. Game 4 was the kind of night that can change a series without announcing itself beforehand.
