Sabres Open as -120 Game 5 Favorites Over Canadiens in 2-2 Series

14 articles · Updated · The Action Network · May 14

Game 5 starts at 7 p.m. EDT in Buffalo with the second-round series tied 2-2, and the Sabres are slight home favorites at -120 while Montreal is +100.
Buffalo grabbed momentum with a 3-2 Game 4 win, where it posted a 59.36% expected-goal share and got a key four-minute penalty kill before Zach Benson scored the winner.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is confirmed to start again after Buffalo allowed 11 goals in Games 2 and 3 with Alex Lyon taking most of the damage.
Montreal still has a case as the slightly stronger team overall after outscoring Buffalo 11-3 in Games 2 and 3, with Jakub Dobes carrying a .914 save percentage this postseason.
The betting lean backs the Canadiens moneyline because Buffalo has handed Montreal 20 power plays in the series, a discipline issue that could swing a tight game.

Can Montreal's goalie overcome his shaky starts to eliminate the Sabres in Game 6?

How much did home-ice pressure contribute to the Sabres' critical Game 5 collapse?

After a 14-year wait, will the Sabres' penalty problems cost them their historic playoff run?