‘Leave it all out there’: Canadiens poised for another Game 7 showdown

BUFFALO — Kaiden Guhle and his teammates would have gladly accepted their current predicament eight months ago.

The Canadiens were coming off a breakthrough 2024-25 campaign — one that saw them emerge from a rebuild and return to the playoffs — when the club reconvened for training camp.

Hopes were high for a young Montreal roster, but pushing through and getting to another level would be a challenge.

Despite a bitterly disappointing home performance in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens still have everything to play for with a do-or-die chance to make the NHL’s Eastern Conference final on deck Monday.

“If you told us in September we’d be in the second round in Game 7 in Buffalo, we’d be pretty happy,” Guhle, a hard-nosed defenceman, said at the team’s hotel in the hours before puck drop.

“Leave it all out there.”

Montreal built an early 3-1 lead at the Bell Centre on Saturday night before the visitors scored the next seven goals in a disastrous and embarrassing 8-3 loss that forced a winner-take-all finale.

“We’re a bunch of brothers in there,” Guhle said. “A lot of us have gone through this together … the rebuild and a couple tough years, and last year squeaking into the playoffs.

“I think it makes this moment, and where we’re at right now, so much more special. We’ve all gone through all that together. It’s a tight group. You want to do this for each other.”

Montreal made this spring’s second round thanks to a Game 7 victory — also on the road — over the Tampa Bay Lightning when goaltender Jakub Dobes played out of his mind in a 2-1 victory.

The Canadiens were fortunate to get out of Florida with a pulse that night, and know they need a much better performance against the Sabres at what will be a rocking KeyBank Center.

“Might have been gripping our sticks a little bit too tight in that game,” Guhle said looking back. “Same thing with Game 6 — just go play.”

The Canadiens own a 16-9 record in Game 7s all-time, while the Sabres are 1-6, with their only victory coming on home ice in 1997 against the Ottawa Senators.

Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis was 6-2 as a player in winner-take-all matchups before claiming another from behind the bench last round.

“It’s not about being perfect,” said the Hall of Fame winger. “It’s about finding a way.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2026.