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On Wednesday night, the Buffalo Sabres will host the Montreal Canadiens and begin their Eastern Conference Second Round bout.
Buffalo has already made history during these playoffs in their first appearance since 2011, but they don't want the ride to end just yet. The Sabres have not made a Conference Finals since 2007, when they lost 4-1 in the series against the Ottawa Senators.
It took the Canadiens a while, seven games to be exact, to get past the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, but Montreal has proven they are worthy of being one of the final eight teams in these NHL playoffs. Martin St. Louis' crew only had nine shots on goal during their Game 7 win. However, their defense is what helped them move on to the second round.
When matched against each other during the regular season, the Sabres and Canadiens were eerily similar. The teams split their season series 2-2. They both scored 13 goals against each other, and they both cashed in on three of their power plays. Among playoff teams, both are middle-of-the-pack in scoring, but they both boast top-three goals against defense (Sabres: 2.0 goals against/game; Canadiens: 2.1 goals against/game).
Here's what you need to know to watch Buffalo vs. Montreal, including broadcast information and start times.
Sabres vs. Canadiens schedule
Buffalo leads series 1-0
| May 6 | Game 1: Sabres 4, Canadiens 2 | — | — |
| May 8 | Game 2 at Buffalo | 7 p.m. | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| May 10 | Game 3 at Montreal | 7 p.m. | ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
| May 12 | Game 4 at Montreal | TBA | ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
| May 14 | Game 5 at Buffalo* | TBA | TNT, truTV, DIRECTV |
| May 16 | Game 6 at Montreal* | TBA | ABC or ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
| May 18 | Game 7 at Buffalo* | TBA | ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app |
* If necessary
Where to watch Sabres vs. Canadiens: TV channel, live stream
Games in the Sabres vs. Canadiens series will air on multiple channels.
Fans can stream every playoff game live on DIRECTV, which offers a free trial to new users. Games on ABC and ESPN networks can also be streamed on the ESPN app or fubo, which also has a free trial.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule, key dates for 2026
Here are the key dates to know for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and offseason. Some series start dates could move up depending on when previous series end.
| First round begins | April 18 |
| NHL Draft Lottery | May 4 or 5 |
| NHL Scouting Combine at Buffalo | May 31-June 6 |
| Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 (if necessary) | June 21 |
| NHL Draft at Los Angeles | June 26-27 |
| Free agency begins | July 1 |
English (US)