Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky issues reality check amid 3-2 series lead vs. Sabres

Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky issues reality check amid 3-2 series lead vs. Sabres appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Montreal Canadiens have defeated the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of their second-round series. Juraj Slafkovsky recorded three assists in the 6-3 win on the road. With this victory, Montreal needs only one more win to advance to the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals.

The Canadiens have a lot to be confident about. For instance, the Canadiens’ offense has had no issues scoring. They have scored four or more goals in three of their last four games. At the same time, there is no room to celebrate quite yet. They still have one more hurdle to climb.

Slafkovsky recognized this fact on Thursday after Game 5. “It’s good for the confidence but doesn’t matter, in two days we gotta do it again and play our best game of the season,” the Canadiens forward said, via team reporter Priyanta Emrith.

For all the confidence the Canadiens have, the game did not go their way initially. Jason Zucker opened the scoring for the Sabres on Thursday night, deflecting a puck past Jakub Dobes to make it 1-0.

This goal sparked a very chaotic sequence in the opening frame. Montreal and Buffalo traded four goals in very quick succession following Zucker’s tally. This ended with the Sabres holding a 3-2 lead heading into the first intermission.

Montreal responded by scoring three goals in the second period. Two of these goals came within a minute and a half of each other. Those goals, plus an Ivan Demidov tally in the third period, completed the comeback in Game 5 against the Sabres.