Dach, Newhook Power Canadiens Past Sabres in Game 3 — Alex Newhook Trade
Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook made the alex newhook trade look like a playoff payoff on Sunday night, helping the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 in Game 3. Montreal now leads the second-round series 2-1, with two recent acquisitions driving the scoring in a game that pushed the Canadiens one step closer in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Newhook Sets the Pace
Newhook scored his team-leading fourth and fifth goals of the playoffs, and Montreal needed both. The forward has now become one of the club’s most productive players in the series, turning a role built around speed and chance creation into actual numbers on the scoreboard.
Lane Hutson added two assists and was named the game’s first star, while Juraj Slafkovský scored on the power play. That gave Montreal enough scoring support to keep control after the opening push and stretch the margin beyond reach.
Dach Closes Out Buffalo
Dach delivered the third-period goal that put the nail in the Sabres’ coffin. It was the kind of late insurance Montreal has been missing in tight playoff games, and it came from a center the Canadiens paid to accelerate their rebuild.
The timing matters because both Dach and Newhook arrived in deals that were scrutinized for the price paid to get them. Dach came from the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, when the Canadiens also took Juraj Slafkovský with the No. 1 pick. Newhook arrived from the Colorado Avalanche at the 2023 draft in Nashville.
Montreal’s Rebuild Pays Off
Those moves were meant to fast-track the rebuild managed by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, and for a while they drew plenty of doubt. Dach and Newhook have both battled injuries, which limited how often Montreal could count on them and made their playoff production harder to project.
Nick Suzuki put the reaction plainly after the win: “It’s great to see,” he said. “Both guys have been through a lot, just grinding to get back in the lineup, grinding to find your way in the league. Both players have been absolutely massive for us in the playoffs, just two young guys that are figuring it out. It’s super important for our future.”
The Canadiens still have work in front of them, but Game 3 changed the shape of the series. With a 2-1 lead and two trade acquisitions producing key goals, Montreal has turned a long debate over those deals into production that shows up when the games matter most.
