'We have to be better' | Sabres look ahead following Game 2 loss

Rasmus Dahlin planned to allow himself 30 more minutes to be angry.

The Buffalo Sabres captain was among the disappointed voices who spoke following a 5-1 loss in Game 2 of their second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.

Dahlin described the loss as “unacceptable” but still had the larger picture in mind: The series is tied 1-1 as it shifts to Montreal for Games 3 and 4, which is the exact scenario the Sabres found themselves in to start Round 1.

“Be angry for 30 more minutes, and then go to bed, sleep and then move on,” Dahlin said.

“It’s a big day tomorrow. … Usually, we get better from games like this. We’re good at learning, so even though I’m pissed right now, I’m positive about the future.”

The Canadiens – desperate after falling behind early in Game 1 – jumped out to an early lead with two goals in the first five minutes. Alex Newhook scored on a deflection to put them on the board, then an offensive-zone faceoff win led to Mike Matheson burying a shot from the blue line past a screened Alex Lyon.

“We knew they were going to have a push,” Tage Thompson said. “Made some mistakes and it ends up in the back of your net and then you’re chasing the game.”

Newhook’s second goal of the game – scored on the rush as a Buffalo power play expired – increased Montreal’s lead to 3-0 early in the second period.

Zach Benson continued his strong playoffs by forechecking his way to a goal late in the second period, which ignited the crowd and served as a potential turning point. Instead, Alexandre Carrier scored on an odd-man rush to extend the Montreal lead to 4-1 early in the third.

Nick Suzuki added an empty-net goal to complete the scoring for Montreal.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff pointed to decision making with the puck as the root of the team’s struggles. A defensive-zone turnover preceded Newhook’s goal to open the scoring. Carrier’s goal came after Thompson lost control while trying to handle the puck near the blue line.

“I think three or four of the goals were just the result of bad puck play,” Ruff said. “You can’t beat yourself. We beat ourselves, and we know we have to be better.”

Responding to disappointing efforts has been a strength of this Sabres team all season. They went nearly four months during the regular season without losing consecutive games in regulation and responded to both of their first-round losses with strong winning efforts.

So, yes, they were rightfully angry on Friday night. On Saturday, the focus shifts to Game 3.

“We can't afford to spend any time on the game,” Ruff said. “In all likelihood, we'll probably practice tomorrow. Get the legs going. Feel good about puck touches.”

Here’s more from Game 2.

Thompson: “I’ve got to be better”

Thompson was critical of his own performance postgame. He finished the night minus-4, and his turnover along the blue line led to Carrier’s third-period goal.

“I just wasn’t executing,” he said. “I think everything I touched turned into disaster tonight. So, tough one. I’ve got to be better. Just as simple as that. Just flush that one and move on.”

Thompson’s late-game heroics drove the Sabres to a comeback win in their playoff opener, when he scored a pair of goals to erase a 2-0 deficit against the Bruins. He’s been held without a goal since that night but still managed to make an impact. His seven points in Round 1 tied for the team lead while his plus-7 rating ranked third.

On Friday, he felt he was simply fighting the puck as he tried to help engineer another comeback.

“It’s frustrating,” Thompson said. “You obviously want to execute plays and impact the game. Just fighting it tonight. You know, the puck bounces every time I try to touch it, just can’t get a handle on it and it ends up in the back of your net. Just got to be better.”

Dahlin and Ruff both expressed confidence in Thompson’s ability to bounce back.

“He’s such a pro,” Dahlin said. “Everybody can have bad games. I’m sure tomorrow he will come to work and grind and he’s probably going to be our best player next game. I’m not worried at all.”

A tough night for the power play

The Sabres went 0-for-5 on the power play, including a chance to cut into the Montreal lead when the score was still 2-0.

Buffalo had scored a pair of power-play goals in Game 1, the unit’s most productive outing of the playoffs. On Friday, turnovers on entries largely prevented the group from finding a rhythm.

“Again, we struggled in part (because) of our puck play,” Ruff said. “We've been a pretty high percentage entry team. We just didn't solve the little bit of pressure at the blue line.”

Montreal also went 0-for-5 with the extra man, including one gutsy penalty kill that saw Jordan Greenway defend more than two minutes without a stick.

Malenstyn returns following injury scare

Beck Malenstyn briefly left for the room following a second-period penalty kill, when Ivan Demidov’s skate knocked the glove off of the Sabres forward’s left hand. Demidov had been upended by a hit from Greenway; his skate caught Malenstyn while in the air.

Malenstyn finished the shift – he even made a diving pass breakup to complete the kill – before heading down the tunnel. He returned and spent the rest of the second period on the bench, then played three shifts during the third period.

Benson briefly ignites Sabres

Benson continued to leave his mark on these playoffs with his second-period goal – and the moments that preceded it.

Minutes prior to scoring, Benson was thrown to the ice by Carrier to ignite a spirited scrum. Benson got up from the play laughing and chirping in the direction of Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes, who tried to get his own piece of the Sabres forward during the scrum.

Benson’s goal was the product of his forechecking tenacity. He pressured Noah Dobson into a turnover behind the Montreal net, then parked at the backdoor for an eventual cross-ice feed from Conor Timmins.

Benson has three goals and six points in eight playoff games. The crowd showed its appreciation by chanting his name as the period ended.

Postgame sound

Up next

The series heads to Montreal for Game 3 on Sunday at 7 p.m. The game will air nationally on ESPN. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

• Round 2 watch party schedule

Brian Duff and Martin Biron will have pregame and postgame coverage on MSG, the Sabres App, and the team’s X, Facebook and YouTube channels. The pregame show starts at 6:30 p.m.