Know Before You Go: Sabres To Host Game 1 Of Round Two Against Canadiens In Buffalo

It's hard to believe it, but it's been two decades since we've been here, and now we're here again: the Buffalo Sabres are in Round Two of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The last time the Sabres were here, they faced the New York Rangers, and with Lindy Ruff behind the bench commanding a team led by Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, and Teppo Numminen, the Sabres quickly dispatched the Rangers in six games.

While the team lost to the Senators in the Eastern Conference Finals that year, it was an overall good year to be a Buffalo Sabres fan.

Who knew that it would be the last time the Sabres made it that deep into the playoffs in nearly 20 years?

Going To Game One Of The Second Round, Here's What You Need To Know

Even though it's been a long while, it's so good to be back, and the Sabrehood is ready for more playoff hockey. This time, the Sabres are playing host to the Montreal Canadiens. During the 2025/26 season, Buffalo and Montreal faced each other 4 times, splitting the series with 2 games each. Now, the winner of this series will move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the loser will go home. Everything gets started on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Buffalo when the Sabres open the doors to the KeyBank Center for the Habs.

Just like in the first round, the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is a best-of-7 first-round matchup, which means the first team to get to four wins will move on, and the other team will go home. The NHL uses a best-of-7, 2–2–1–1–1 game structure, so the Sabres will host games 1 and 2, along with games 5 and 7 if necessary.

During the first round of the playoffs, more than 30,000 people filled the streets of downtown Buffalo for a chance to party in the plaza, have fun at the Sabrehood Block Party, and watch the game live inside the KeyBank Center or along the water at Canalside. With the newly rekindled popularity for the Sabres, a lot of folks are heading downtown who may have never been there or haven't been in a long time.

READ MORE: Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Playoff History

If that sounds like you, then there are tons of things you need to know to make your trip downtown to catch the game, and we've got a ton of details below.

Get Ready For Playoff Hockey In Buffalo

The second round is sure to be filled with tons of drama and fun on the ice and all over Western New York.

We'd love to share your photos of the party in the plaza, the Sabres watch party, and the in-game festivities. Please feel free to share your photos with us. You can email me right here, or you can send me your pics through our station app.

Let's Go, Buffalo!