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Action is certainly heating up between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.
With the Habs on their way to a 2-1 series lead on Sunday night, there was plenty of physicality that caught the attention both of the referees and of the league office.
The NHL Player Safety department chose to hand out a couple of fines on Monday but no suspensions.
The Sabres' Beck Malenstyn was fined $3,515.63 for his goalie interference against Montreal's Jakub Dobes.
Malenstyn was skating nearly full speed toward the goal, and with a tough angle with a defenseman on his back, was unable to stop (and admittedly didn't seem to try much) before crashing into Dobes. He was called on the ice for goalie interference, as well.
Buffalo’s Beck Malenstyn has been fined $3,515.63, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for goalie interference against Montreal’s Jakub Dobes.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 11, 2026MORE: The Mitch Marner irony of Auston Matthews' future with the Maple Leafs
Montreal's Arber Xhekaj also got a fine, $3,385.42.
His fine came for his roughing of Buffalo's Sam Carrick, which was as time expired on the game.
Some called Xhekaj's punch of Carrick a "sucker punch," but he just ends up with a fine. Both fines are based on an individual player's average game check.
Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj has been fined $3,385.42, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for roughing Buffalo’s Sam Carrick.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 11, 2026The intensity of the rest of this series may depend mostly on how close it stays. If these teams stretch it to six or seven games, the heat will keep rising.
For now, no suspensions, but the NHL clearly is watching the antics.
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