The Montreal Canadiens hold a commanding 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven second-round series, placing them one win from the Eastern Conference Final with Game 6 at home in the Bell Centre. Recent momentum favors Montreal, which has outscored the Sabres 19-9 while generating 55 percent of expected goals over the past three games, supported by strong special-teams play and contributions from emerging talents such as Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson. Buffalo’s power play has struggled at just 4 percent in the round, and the Sabres face elimination despite solid goaltending and forward depth from Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. Official injury reports show limited changes, with Owen Power returning for Buffalo and Patrik Laine remaining sidelined for Montreal. These factors align with the current trader consensus pricing the Canadiens at 79 percent to close out the series.