Sabres vs. Canadiens schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores for NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series

Sabres vs. Canadiens schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores for NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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

Montreal leads series 3-2

Date

Game

Time (ET)

Watch

May 6

Game 1: Sabres 4, Canadiens 2

—

May 8

Game 2: Canadiens 5, Sabres 1

—

May 10

Game 3: Canadiens 6, Sabres 2

—

May 12

Game 4: Sabres 3, Canadiens 2

—

May 14

Game 5: Canadiens 6, Sabres 3

—

May 16

Game 6 at Montreal

8 p.m.

ABC, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app

May 18

Game 7 at Buffalo*

7:30 p.m.

ESPN, DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app

* If necessary

Where to watch Sabres vs. Canadiens: TV channel, live stream

TV channels: TNT, truTV, ESPN, ABC
Live streams: DIRECTV, fubo, ESPN app

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.

Event

Dates

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