Sabres' goaltending issues resurface in Game 5 loss to Canadiens - ESPN

BUFFALO — The Buffalo Sabres are on the brink of elimination from their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series against Montreal following an ugly 6-3 loss in Game 5 on Thursday that put the Sabres in a 3-2 series deficit — with a goaltending issue to address as well.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started the night and guided Buffalo to a 3-2 lead after the first 20 minutes. But the wheels came off from there as the Sabres' glaring defensive breakdowns and Luukkonen's increasingly unsteady play resulted in a 5-3 deficit going into the third period that Buffalo couldn't recover from even when Alex Lyon stepped in to replace Luukonnen for the final 20 minutes.

Buffalo's failings don't fall entirely on its netminders, but there's no question they — along with everyone else — have to improve if the Sabres expect to drag Montreal back to town for an eventual Game 7.

«I think we just got too comfortable there [after the first period],» Luukkonen said. «I don't think it's anything too crazy. I have to be better. The whole team has to be better. Not much more complicated than that.»

The Sabres looked like they were in control early Thursday. Montreal's rookie goaltender, Jakub Dobes, was uncharacteristically leaky in the first period, allowing three goals on Buffalo's first five shots. And it was more of Buffalo's depth players, rather than outright stars, filling the net behind Dobes. Jason Zucker had them out front early, with Josh Doan and Konsta Helenius (notching his first of the postseason) cashing in their other markers to spot the Sabres a 3-2 lead through 20 minutes.

At the other end, Luukkonen fared slightly better under more duress for much of the first 20 minutes while giving up two goals — to Cole Caufield and