Sabres vs. Canadiens NHL Game 4: Montreal has found offensive rhythm, eyes commanding 3-1 series lead Tuesday

Thompson scored just 53 seconds into Game 3, his first goal in eight games after leading the club with 40 in the regular season. Montreal would then fairly quickly score the next four. The undisciplined Sabres gave the Canadiens six power-play chances, and they converted on two of them – Buffalo had 13 penalties for 42 penalty minutes. The Habs outshot the Sabres 36-28, outhit them 25-21 and dominated the face-off circle (62.3%).

How important was Game 3 potentially? The Sabres are 11-3 all-time in a best-of-seven when leading 2-1, compared to 0-14 when down the same.

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Alex Newhook led the Habs with two goals and tops the club with five in these playoffs after scoring 13 in 42 regular-season games. It was his second straight two-goal game to make him the first Canadiens player with two such games in the playoffs since Mark Recchi back in 1997. The only Montreal player with three such games in a row was Yvon Lambert in 1980. Newhook is +220 for at least for two goals here.

But what really has to have Canadiens fans feeling good right now is that young star forwards Cole Caufield and former No. 1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovský both broke out of slumps in Game 3.

Caufield, a 50-goal scorer during the season, snapped a five-goal drought with his second of the playoffs. He became only the fifth different player in NHL history with 30 go-ahead goals in a campaign (regular season and playoffs). Brett Hull holds the mark of 42 in 1990-91. Slafkovský had a hat trick in the playoff opener didn't score again until Sunday.

All of his goals this postseason have been on the power play. No Montreal player has ever scored his first five goals of a single playoffs with the man advantage. Slafkovský is +200 for an anytime goal, and that the Habs have at least one on the power play is -125.

There is no doubt that rookie Jakub Dobes will remain in the Montreal net; he did get bowled over by Buffalo's Beck Malenstyn in Game 3, which led to a goalie interference penalty and ignited a scrum, but Dobes was fine. The 24-year-old owns a 2.13 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in these playoffs while facing two stellar offensive teams in the Lightning and Sabres, and he has become a fan-favorite.

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The Canadiens try to take a 3-1 series lead in a best-of-seven for the 30th time, most among all NHL teams. Montreal is 29-0 in the previous 29 when doing so. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.