Sabres vs. Canadiens final score, results from Game 2 of NHL playoffs Eastern Conference semifinals

Below, these were all the updates we tracked throughout the game.

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Sabres vs. Canadiens final score

Sabres vs. Canadiens updates

Third period

• Ballgame. Canadiens 5, Sabres 1. Series evened up.

• Benson called for a penalty with 1:26 left. Back to even strength. Looks like Benson responded to a big shove from Dobes.

• Penalty for cross check and misconduct for Canadiens, so Buffalo goes on the power play with 2:42 to go.

• Empty-net goal with 4:01 left by Nick Suzuki. It's 5-1 Canadiens running away.

• Sabres kill the penalty but have just 4:45 to score three.

• Cole Caufield crushes the bar. Still 4-1 with six minutes left.

• Canadiens power play with 6:52 left. An elbow by Bowen Byram.

• Alex Lyon two big saves with eight minutes left. Still 4-1 Montreal.

• With 10:15 left, Dobes makes a save in his chest and it's still 4-1 Canadiens.

• Benson nearly set up Josh Norris for a goal, but Norris couldn't finish in front with 13:30 left. Norris broke his stick as he got to the bench after this miss.

• Canadiens goal. Tage Thompson terrible giveaway. Alexandre Carrier for 4-1 Montreal with 16:06 to play.

• Couple early shots from Buffalo even the game shots up at 21-apiece.

• Underway, and there's a lot on the line with Buffalo up 1-0 in the series and Montreal up 3-1 in Game 2.

Second period

• End of two: Canadiens 3, Sabres 1. Benson scores with 37 seconds left in the period to provide life for Buffalo.

• Buffalo goal, down 3-1 with 37.2 seconds left in the second period. Zach Benson takes the puck away behind the net, and it eventually makes it back to him to slot it in from in front of the net.

• Back to 5-on-5 with 55 seconds left in the second period.

• A skirmish after Zach Benson gets involved in front. Multiple players are going to the penalty box. One for each side. It'll be 4-on-4.

• Another futile power play for Buffalo. Only one shot.

• Sabres power play. Montreal called for too many men on the ice.

• Buffalo has turned the puck over too much in bad spots. Montreal seems more likely to score again than the Sabres seem to get one back.

• Sabres kill the penalty despite playing most of the shift with one fewer stick. Buffalo still hadn't gotten off the ice 40 seconds after the kill, though, super long zone time for Montreal.

• Canadiens power play with 10:24 left in the second period. Nick Suzuki tripped by Mattias Samuelsson. A case for a penalty shot, but not given.

• Canadiens kill another Buffalo power play. Still 3-0 Montreal with 12:25 left in the second.

• Sabres power play with 14:27 left in the second. Xhekaj with the slash.

• Canadiens 3-0. 15:13 left in the second. Montreal broke out on the penalty kill, and the goal technically happened just after it went to even strength. Alex Newhook gets his second goal of the game.

• Sabres power play with 17:17 left in the second period. Carrier to the box.

• Ivan Demidov and Beck Malenstyn each leave the ice a bit hurt during the power play and penalty kill. The Sabres kill it.

• A key fan in the house: Rob Gronkowski.

First period

• End of one: Canadiens 2, Sabres 0. Montreal will have 1:50 on the power play to start the second period.

• Canadiens get a power play with 9.9 seconds left in the first period. Josh Doan a late hit on Noah Dobson.

• Sabres have 19 of the first 27 hits in this one, trying to be physical, but down 2-0 with a minute left in the first.

• Sabres kill the penalty, with a Zach Benson carry out and shot at the other end helping use some time up.

• Lyon early glove save on Caufield 30 seconds into the Montreal power play. Lyon makes another glove save on Hutson.

• Canadiens power play with 8:13 left in the first period. Lane Hutson drew the penalty. Rasmus Dahlin into the box, interference.

• Lane Hutson with a key play in front to stop the Benson-Norris-Doan line from an open shot on goal.

• Another shot with Tuch with eight seconds left on the power play, saved in Dobes' chest. The Canadiens kill off the man advantage.

• Dobes makes a great glove save against Josh Doan with 1:09 left on the power play. Then he makes a save with his head on Alex Tuch.

• Sabres going on the power play. Carrier trips Zucker with 12:26 left in the first.

• Nick Suzuki found himself in behind on a pass banked off the boards, but his backhand try was gloved by Lyon to avoid a third quick one.

• Tage Thompson has a couple big hits early but the Sabres will need their top goal scorer to do that, too. He hasn't scored since Game 1 against the Bruins.

• 2-0 Canadiens. There's 15:33 left in the first and Mike Matheson scores from the point for Montreal. Phillip Danault with a clean faceoff win, and Matheson beats Lyon over the goalie's upper right shoulder.

• Sabres with another bad job getting out of the zone and forces Lyon to make a close-range save against Cole Caufield. Came right after Josh Doan and Josh Norris had a chance in front that wouldn't go for Buffalo.

• Canadiens goal. Just 96 seconds into the game. Alex Newhook converts off a feed from Lane Hutson. The play started when Peyton Krebs slipped with the puck in his defensive zone. A bad mistake by Buffalo, and Alex Lyon nearly saved it but it trickled in. 1-0 Montreal.

Pregame

• Ryan Miller did indeed bang the drum. It's hockey time.

• Puck drop will be about 7:10 p.m.

• A quick look back at the Sabres' playoff history to read right here.

• A fun pregame spelling lesson on the name Sabres to read right here.

• The Sabres don't announce who is going to bang their hype-up pregame drum ahead of time, but rumors point to legendary goalie Ryan Miller.

• While there were some calls for the Canadiens to consider a goalie change for Game 2, it appears it will indeed remain Jakub Dobes in net to oppose Buffalo's Alex Lyon.

**-**Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said earlier Friday that if this was a Game 7, Sam Carrick could play. But for now, Buffalo is holding its midseason acquisition out of action as he recovers from injury.

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