The Sabres forced the deciding game with an 8-3 win in Game 6 at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday after trailing the best-of-7 series 3-2.
The winner of the game will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina swept the Philadelphia Flyers in their second-round series and is 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. Montreal is 16-9 in Game 7 including 8-6 on the road. It won its most recent Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round this season. The Canadiens have won their past three road Game 7s and six of its past seven winner-take all games away from home.
Forwards Tanner Pearson (four), Ryan McLeod (three) and Alex Tuch (three) have played in the most Game 7s among Buffalo skaters. Pearson (two goals, one assist) and Tuch (one goal, one assist) are the only Sabres players with a goal in a Game 7.
Neither Sabres goalie, Alex Lyon or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, has played in a Game 7. Lindy Ruff has coached in five (1-4).
Canadiens forwards Brendan Gallagher (3-0) and Phillip Danault (2-1) have each played in three Game 7s. Gallagher has one goal and two assists. Forwards Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook each scored in Game 7 against the Lightning in the first round.
Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes made 28 saves in the 2-1 first-round win in Game 7, which was the first winner-take-all game Martin St. Louis had coached.
