Newhook's Double Powers Canadiens to 6-2 Rout, 2-1 Series Lead

MONTREAL (Day.News) — Alex Newhook continued his postseason surge with two goals, including an empty-netter, as the Montreal Canadiens crushed the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 on May 10 at Bell Centre, taking a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series. Zachary Bolduc, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach also lit the lamp for Montreal, while Lane Hutson and Jake Evans each dished out two assists. Rookie goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 26 shots to anchor the victory, marking the Canadiens' first consecutive playoff wins this postseason after alternating results in their seven-game first-round triumph over Tampa Bay. The series opener on May 8 saw Buffalo claim a 5-1 win at home, but Montreal evened it in Game 2 with another 5-1 victory in Buffalo, where Newhook also scored twice alongside goals from Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Nick Suzuki. Newhook's Game 3 empty-netter sealed the deal late, extending his impact after his third-period game-winner clinched the first-round series against Tampa. Montreal's secondary scoring has emerged as a strength, with Dobes providing stability in net. Buffalo struggled offensively in Game 3, managing just two goals against Dobes despite a strong 50-23-9 regular-season record and 24-13-4 road mark. The Sabres responded forcefully in Game 4 on May 12, edging Montreal 3-2 in Montreal with Zach Benson's third-period power-play winner, Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson also scoring to tie the series at 2-2. With the series now even heading into Game 5 in Buffalo, Montreal's newfound consistency collides with Buffalo's resilience in a matchup featuring rising stars on both sides.