Buffalo Dropped an 8-Spot on Montreal in Game 6, and Nobody's Ready for This Game 7 Drama

Alright, hockey fans, buckle up because tonight is going to be absolutely wild! We're talking Game 7 of the NHL playoffs, second round, and it's all coming down to one final battle between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. The stakes? Massive. We're talking a trip to the Eastern Conference finals on the line, with the winner heading straight to face the Carolina Hurricanes! And if you thought this series was settled, think again. Buffalo pulled off an insane 8-3 victory in Game 6, blowing things wide open and sending this whole shebang back to KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. You gotta love the drama!

The Series Flip!

Can you believe this series? Montreal had the upper hand early, jumping out to a 2-1 series lead, and it felt like they were cruising. But the Sabres, man, they've shown some serious grit. They've roared back, winning two of the past three games, including that absolute shellacking in Game 6. An 8-3 drubbing! That kind of performance flips the script entirely and builds massive momentum for Buffalo heading into this do-or-die game. The puck drops tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, and every single shift is going to be electric. The books have Buffalo as the -118 favorite, with Montreal at -102. And get this, the over/under for total goals is set at 5.5. Does that sound like a low number given what we just saw?

The Model's Wild Call

Now, let's talk numbers, because the SportsLine Projection Model has been grinding away, simulating this Game 7 10,000 times. And this isn't some fly-by-night algorithm, either. This model came into the second round of the 2026 NHL playoffs with a stellar +668 return on its top-rated money-line picks. That's serious cash for anyone following its advice! So, what's its big prediction for tonight? The model is shouting one thing loud and clear: Go OVER on the total of 5.5 goals! And honestly, after that 8-3 Game 6, can you blame it? The Over has hit in four of the last six head-to-head matchups between these two, with one push. Plus, it's hit in three of Montreal's last four games and five of Buffalo's last nine, including a push. The Sabres, by the way, finished the regular season with the fifth-best scoring offense in the entire NHL, averaging a crazy 3.42 goals per game. The model projects Montreal's Cole Caufield to light the lamp for .56 goals and dish out .46 assists, while goalie Jakub Dobes is looking at 23.3 saves and allowing 3.22 goals. For Buffalo, Tage Thompson is projected for .54 goals and .53 assists, with goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen making 19.3 saves and giving up 3.03 goals. Overall, the model sees a whopping 6.5 combined goals, making the Over the play 61% of the time. If you're looking for an edge, this is it. So here we are, hockey fam. One game. Everything on the line. The winner gets to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals and keep their Stanley Cup dreams alive. The loser goes home, their season over in the most brutal way possible. Are you watching tonight? You better be! This is what playoff hockey is all about, and you absolutely cannot miss a second of this Game 7 showdown. Get ready for some heart-stopping action!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.