Canadiens hope to bounce back in Game 5 following latest setback

SAINT-HUBERT, Quebec -- The Montreal Canadiens believe they can bounce back from their latest loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Montreal will be looking for a fifth straight win in that scenario when it faces the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC). The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2 after Buffalo's 3-2 win at Bell Centre on Tuesday.

Montreal is 4-0 following a loss through its first 11 playoff games, including three wins in that situation in a seven-game first round win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which each game was decided by one goal.

"It's a tight series," Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc said before leaving for Buffalo on Thursday. "As a young team, we got a lot of experience in that first round against an older team and we're ready to face anything. We've just got to go to Buffalo and do our best and I think good things will happen."

With the Sabres now enjoying home-ice advantage again, Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson is confident his team can win at least one more road game, and two, if necessary.

"We've done it all year," Dobson said. "Whether at home or on the road, I feel like we bring the same game. We are confident in both situations, both environments, and we'll focus on tomorrow and go from there."

Montreal went 1-for-7 on the power play in the 3-2 loss in Game 4, but coach Martin St. Louis feels that if his players generate a similar amount of opportunities Thursday, that the Canadiens will return home with an opportunity to win the series at home in Game 6 on Saturday.

"We're playing good hockey," St. Louis said. "That's a good team over there. It would be fun to be up 3-1, it would be fun if the series was over, but they're a good team. It's 2-2, so let's go, let's keep it going."

The Canadiens pressed for the tying goal after Buffalo took the lead on Zach Benson's power-play goal at 4:41 of the third but the Sabres held off the push to avoid going home facing elimination.

"We spent a lot of time in their zone," St. Louis said. "They had three or four guys in front of their net so it's hard to shoot from there when they're all there. So we have to keep on playing together and maybe be a little more calculated with our shot selection. If you give us that much time in the offensive zone, I'm pretty sure that we're going to be OK."

Dobson acknowledged that Buffalo defended their end of the ice well, but felt that the scoring opportunities were there for the tying goal.

"Give them credit, they did a good job with that yesterday," Dobson said. "We had the puck a lot in the offensive zone and we've just got to find a way to bear down on the chances and put it in the back of the net."