Zachary Bolduc Draws 4-Minute Penalty After Sabres Collision

zachary bolduc was handed a four-minute roughing penalty in a tied playoff game after two Buffalo defenders shoved him into Alex Lyon and down on top of the goaltender. The call came with 1:16 left in the first period of Game 3 in Montreal, turning one sequence into a possible special-teams edge late in a 1-1 game.

Bolduc and Lyon collide

Bolduc never touched Lyon until he was shoved into the crease. He did not push back and fell on the play, yet Rank assessed the Canadiens player four minutes for roughing.

The sequence started with two Buffalo defenders forcing Bolduc toward the net, where he ended up on top of Lyon. That left Montreal short-handed in a game that was still even on the scoreboard and still tight on the clock.

Series pressure in Montreal

The penalty landed in a series that arrived in Montreal tied 1-1. Buffalo had taken Game 1 at home by a 4-2 score, then Montreal answered with a 5-1 road win in Game 2, so Game 3 already carried more weight than a normal mid-series night.

Buffalo also entered with recent form that made the call stand out. The Sabres finished the regular season fourth overall with a 50-23-9 record and a plus-47 goal differential, and Lyon had posted a.934 save percentage across seven playoff games.

Game 4 on Tuesday

Game 4 goes Tuesday in Montreal, and the penalty in Game 3 now sits as one of the pivotal stoppages from a series that has already swung once in each direction. For Montreal, the immediate concern is whether another close game again turns on a single call around the crease.