- Dahlin (1G, 4A) is the first defenseman in NHL history with 5 points in an elimination game
- His night tied the Sabres’ franchise playoff record for points in a game
- Read below for the full breakdown of Dahlin’s historic Game 6 in Montreal
The Sabres captain just did something no defenseman in NHL history had ever done.
Rasmus Dahlin put up five points (1G, 4A) in Buffalo’s 8-3 win over Montreal in Game 6 on Saturday and became the first defenseman ever to record a five-point game while facing elimination. The Sabres were down 3-1 in the first period and one loss from getting bounced. Dahlin dragged them back, and now there’s a Game 7 in Buffalo on Monday night.
He set the tone 32 seconds in. Dahlin grabbed the puck near the left point, deked past Juraj Slafkovsky so hard the Habs forward sprawled out on the ice, then snapped a backhand over Jakub Dobes’ shoulder for a 1-0 lead at the Bell Centre.
Watch the official NHL recap of the comeback:
Montreal answered with three of the next four goals to push the score to 3-1. From there, it was the Dahlin show. He factored into all four Buffalo power-play goals and finished with three primary assists, helping Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch fly past Jakub Dobes and reliever Sam Montembeault.
By the third period, Buffalo had piled up seven unanswered. Zach Metsa added the late dagger:
Dahlin’s stat line is wild on its own. He became the ninth defenseman ever with five-plus points in a single playoff game, joining names like Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin, Al MacInnis and Cale Makar. The elimination-game version of the record is his alone.
It also tied the Sabres’ franchise playoff record for points in a game, matching Derek Roy’s mark from 2006 and John Tucker’s from 1988. No Buffalo defenseman had ever cracked four points in a playoff game before Saturday.
This wasn’t a hot streak from a guy who needed it. Dahlin is a 2026 Norris Trophy finalist coming off a career year (19 goals, 74 points in 77 games), and he’s been Buffalo’s best player all postseason.
The Sabres hadn’t won an elimination game since May 16, 2007, when they beat Ottawa in the Eastern Conference Final. Saturday ended that wait for the first time in nearly two decades.
Game 7 between the Sabres and Canadiens goes Monday night at KeyBank Center, with the winner heading to the Eastern Conference Final against Carolina.
