Schedule and 2025-26 Results
Regular Season Records: Buffalo 50-23-9=109pts, Montreal 48-24-10=106pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 06 May: Montreal loses at Buffalo, 4-goals-2
Game 2 on Friday, 08 May: Montreal wins at Buffalo, 5-goals-1
Game 3 on Sunday, 10 May: Buffalo loses at Montreal, 6-goals-2
Game 4 on Tuesday, 12 May: Buffalo wins at Montreal, 3-goals-2
Game 5 on Thursday, 14 May: Montreal wins at Buffalo, 6-goals-3
Game 6 on Saturday, 16 May: Buffalo wins at Montreal, 8-goals-3
Game 7 on Monday, 18 May: Montreal wins at Buffalo, 3-goals-2(OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The Montreal Canadiens visited and bested the Buffalo Sabres 3-goals-2(OT) to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 victory. With the series 1625 win, the Montreal Canadiens improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 82-44 overall and 18-13 in the Quarterfinals round. With the series 1625 loss, the Buffalo Sabres see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 16-26 overall and 6-10 in the Quarterfinals round. The win order for the victorious Montreal Canadiens in series 1625 was LWWLWLW: Series 1625 thus becomes the fourth NHL Quarterfinals-round series, the fifteenth NHL series (all rounds), and the 33rd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The Montreal Canadiens have accounted for half of the four best-of-7 NHL Quarterfinals series to feature a win order of LWWLWLW, in the just-concluded series 1625, and in series 459 over the old Hartford Whalers in the 1986 NHL Quarterfinals en route to the 1986 NHL championship. In the wake of series 1625 Game 7, the Montreal Canadiens now have an active four-Game 7 winning streak, while the Buffalo Sabres now have an active four-Game 7 losing streak.

After Game 6: The Buffalo Sabres visited and bested the Montreal Canadiens 8-goals-3 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Buffalo Sabres have a Game 7 record of 1-6, while the Montreal Canadiens have a Game 7 record of 16-9. In Buffalo, the Sabres have a 1-1 Game 7 record; away from Montreal, the Canadiens have an 8-6 Game 7 record. The sole best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 7 victory by the Buffalo Sabres occurred in series 724, over the visiting Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Preliminary round. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, teams such as the Buffalo Sabres in series 1625 which post a WLLWLW win order through six games have an active six-Game 7 losing streak.

After Game 5: The Montreal Canadiens visited and defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-goals-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 28-3 (with an active six-series winning streak) and a Game 6 record of 21-10. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Buffalo Sabres have a series record of 1-14 (with an active four-series losing streak) and a Game 6 record of 5-10. Trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Buffalo Sabres won their sole series in series 724, over the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Preliminary round.

After Game 4: The Buffalo Sabres visited and bested the Montreal Canadiens 3-goals-2 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Buffalo Sabres have a series record of 4-11 and a Game 5 record of 5-10, while the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 27-19 and a Game 5 record of 24-22. Montreal and Buffalo have been tied against each other 2-games-all in three previous best-of-7 NHL playoff series; Montreal won two of those three series.

After Game 3: The Montreal Canadiens hosted and bested the Buffalo Sabres 6-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 40-11 and a Game 4 record of 18-33. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Buffalo Sabres have a series record of 0-14 and a Game 4 record of 8-6. Leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Montreal Canadiens have an active five-Game 4 losing streak, and have a 0-2 Game 4 record but a 2-0 series record against the Buffalo Sabres (in series 552 in the 1990 NHL Preliminary round, and in series 577 in the 1991 NHL Preliminary round).

After Game 2: The Montreal Canadiens visited and defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-goals-1 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Buffalo Sabres have a series record of 6-10 and a Game 3 record of 8-8, while the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 25-19 and a Game 3 record of 28-16. With their series 1625 Game 2 loss, the Buffalo Sabres see their best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 2 losing streak extended to five consecutive Game 2s, irrespective of Game 1 outcome. Tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Buffalo Sabres sustained one of their series/Game 3 losses to the Montreal Canadiens in series 552, in the 1990 NHL Preliminary round.

After Game 1: The Buffalo Sabres hosted and bested the Montreal Canadiens 4-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Buffalo Sabres have a series record of 15-11 and a Game 2 record of 11-15. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 17-33 and a Game 2 record of 25-25. With their series 1625 Game 1 victory, the Buffalo Sabres improve their Game 1 winning streak to four consecutive Game 1s in best-of-7 NHL playoff series.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the Buffalo Sabres finished three points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. From 1939 through the 2026 NHL Preliminary round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by three regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 19-24 (.442) in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1625 is the 42nd best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Buffalo Sabres, and the 126th for the Montreal Canadiens. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Buffalo Sabres have an all-rounds series record of 16-25, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 6-9, and a Game 1 record of 26-15, while the Montreal Canadiens have an all-rounds series record of 81-44, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 17-13, and a Game 1 record of 75-50. Series 1625 is the seventh best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens. In their previous six best-of-7 NHL playoff series meetings, the Montreal Canadiens won four of those six series.