It all comes down to one game for the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens. They have three wins apiece, including a pair of dominant road wins for each team in Games 5 and 6.
Which team will move on to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals? Who will get a head start on the offseason?
Our panel of hockey reporters and analysts is here to break down the key players to watch in Monday's Game 7 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), as well as make a prediction on the final score.
Who is the one key player you'll be watching in Game 7?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The Sabres' Game 6 victory is another example of why many teams need two goalies to get through the playoffs.
Despite struggling in Game 5, Luukkonen shut out the Canadiens on Saturday after he replaced Alex Lyon and was one of the most consistent players on either team in Game 6. The Sabres need Luukkonen to replicate his Game 6 effort to give them the strongest chance of winning Game 7.
Emily Kaplan, NHL reporter: Rasmus Dahlin. He and Tage Thompson often say to each other, "dogs need to be dogs." When the Sabres faced their biggest moment of adversity yet, both leaders came through with a massive Game 6 performance. But it's Dahlin, the team captain, that feels most emblematic of the team's journey.
In a year where Dahlin faced significant personal hardship (his fiancée was recovering from a life-saving heart transplant) the defenseman found ways to elevate his game, becoming a first-time Norris Trophy finalist. Keeping emotions in check has been a big theme for the Sabres this series. Dahlin has taken one penalty in every game against Montreal. He needs to stay out of the box, especially because of how important he is in tilting the ice for Buffalo.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Alex Tuch. The last time Tuch went six games without a point was 2020, when he played for the Vegas Golden Knights. Tuch has picked the worst time for the longest pointless streak of his Buffalo Sabres career. The team's top-line winger hasn't notched a point this series, and he has registered a minus-rating in five of the six games so far.
Tuch has 17 shots on net against Montreal, but none got past Jakub Dobes (or Jacob Fowler). That must change in Game 7. Tuch's usual linemate, Tage Thompson, came through with four points in Buffalo's big 8-3 victory Saturday to signal that he might be ready to resume his role as the Sabres' elite offensive threat. It's about time Tuch shows he can be that, too.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: As Nick Suzuki goes, so go the Canadiens. In the team's six losses this postseason, Suzuki has one goal and two assists. That one goal came in Game 1 in Buffalo, and Suzuki didn't have a point in Games 4 or 6. In Montreal's seven victories this postseason, Suzuki has nine points (two goals, seven assists). Two of those helpers came in the Canadiens' Game 7 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, including an assist on Juraj Slafkovsky's series winner.
Suzuki called Game 6 "probably the worst game we've played" and said his team needed to look in the mirror before Game 7. Buffalo's star players could have probably said the same after their Game 5 loss at home. They responded with a monster effort to avoid elimination. Suzuki must do the same.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens: Game Highlights
The final score will be _____.
Clark: 5-4 Canadiens in OT. One team has scored at least three goals in each game of this series. It makes sense that the series finale is another high-scoring but close game.
Kaplan: 5-3 Sabres. Every time the Sabres have been challenged this season, they've found a way through.
Shilton: 6-4 Sabres. This series has been dominated by the road team; the Sabres haven't been great at home throughout the playoffs and their goaltending is infuriatingly inconsistent. Logically, that suggests Montreal should win.
But the Sabres dragged themselves back from the brink in December. Maybe this is their time for an encore.
Wyshynski: 6-3 Sabres. One of my favorite Stanley Cup playoff traditions is when a team is demonstrably better on the road but needs a critical home win, and what that club does to compensate for that. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff jokingly said he'd petition the league to move Game 7 to Bell Centre. Maybe there will be enough Montreal fans in Buffalo to trick the Sabres' minds.
The Sabres need three things to win Game 7: one more strong effort from Luukkonen, outscore Montreal on special teams and play with the offensive fluidity it had in Game 6. (One newly formed line to watch: Tage Thompson with Josh Norris and Zach Benson, a group that had a 7-1 advantage in scoring chances in Montreal.)
I think the Sabres get all of that in Game 7 and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since they were wearing the Buffaslug logo (2007).
