Canadiens eager to 'bounce forward' in Game 7 of Eastern 2nd Round

SAINT-HUBERT, Quebec -- The Montreal Canadiens can’t wait to play Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC) following their most lopsided loss in five months.

“I wish we played today,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said Sunday before leaving for Buffalo in the wake of Montreal’s 8-3 loss in Game 6 at Bell Centre the night before.

The Canadiens allowed seven straight goals - including four Sabres power-play goals - while blowing a 3-1 lead midway through the first period in front of their hockey-crazed fans Saturday.

It was Montreal’s biggest goal-differential loss since a 9-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 12. 

“Every loss is hard to sleep on but in the playoffs it’s really, after midnight you move on, that’s what it is,” forward Phillip Danault said. “Obviously this morning you wake up and that one stings a little more, but sometimes it’s good.”

What is particularly good for the Canadiens is that they had a mulligan available before they squandered their first chance to eliminate Buffalo. 

“You have to learn why you had a bad game,” St. Louis said. “You have to be strong mentally.”

To a man, the Canadiens would like to move past that missed opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“Obviously we need a better start,” Danault said. “It has to be our best game. I know we’re young but it’s no excuse. We know how we can play and we know how good our group can be.”. 

St. Louis does not see an opportunity for Montreal to just bounce back. He frames it as another chance to “bounce forward,” to advance rather than merely recover.

“This situation is magnified in terms of bouncing forward,” St. Louis said. “The obstacles in life come at different times, and for us right now it just came in the last 24 hours, and we have to find a way to bounce forward.”

It could help that Game 7 is a road game for Montreal with both teams struggling at home in the playoffs, each winning just two of six home games. The Canadiens are 5-1 on the road, including three wins in Tampa Bay in the first round, capped by a 2-1 win in Game 7.

“I can’t really pinpoint why,” St. Louis said. “I just think we’re a good team. Our home record in the playoffs hasn’t been as good. I think we’ve been a good team this year at home and on the road.”

So the Canadiens’ season hangs in the balance.

A win in Game 7 would see Montreal advance to a conference final for the first time since 2021. A loss, and any more forward bounces for the Canadiens will be deferred until next season.

“The thing we have to bring in Game 7 is our ‘A’ game and we didn’t have it there last game,” Danault said. “That’s probably the only thing I would say. Otherwise it’s pretty 50/50. It’s a good series. It could go either way. So if we bring our ‘A’ game we believe in our chances. But if we play like last game it will be difficult.”