Canadiens’ Ivan Demidov reaches Henri Richard territory with Game 6 goal vs. Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens are taking on the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of the second round. Montreal can make its first East Finals appearance since 2014 with a win. And they got a ton of momentum in the first period, thanks in part to forward Ivan Demidov.

Demidov scored his first postseason goal in Game 5 against the Sabres. He followed that performance up with another goal in Game 6. His goal gave the Habs the lead at the time. And it helped them end the first period with a 3-2 advantage on the scoreboard.

OH MY, IVAN DEMIDOV!!

: ABC, @Sportsnet & @TVASports pic.twitter.com/pxtPxKTB1j

— NHL (@NHL) May 17, 2026

This is a notable goal for a couple reasons. First, Demidov is now the second youngest Canadiens player to score a goal in a potential series-clinching game, according to NHL Public Relations. Only Henri Richard scored a goal in such a game at a younger age.

The Canadiens are certainly pleased to see Demidov contributing. He is one of the brightest young stars in the NHL. And he was recently named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s best newcomer in 2025-25. The award ultimately went to New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer in a unanimous decision.

Unfortunately, the Canadiens were not able to maintain that momentum. Sabres forward Zach Benson scored one minute into the second period to tie the game 3-3. Buffalo went on to score another two goals in the middle frame to take a 5-3 lead into the second intermission.

Should the Canadiens lose on Saturday, a Game 7 would be required. That Game 7 would be played on Monday night at the KeyBank Center back in Buffalo.

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