Martin St-Louis and fans left fuming after Nick Suzuki's controversial penalty puts Canadiens in early hole

The Canadiens didn't just lose a call. They lost control of the bench temperature after Suzuki was sent off for tripping Bowen Byram near Jakub Dobes' crease.

Buffalo turned that power play into its second goal, pushing Montreal into a 2-0 hole before the game had settled. That's the kind of swing that changes matchups and shortens patience.

The anger is easy to understand. Byram and Suzuki were tied up, and the clip makes the stick battle look less like a clean trip than a net-front mess.

The first angle shows bodies leaning, sticks crossed, and Suzuki trying to work through contact instead of making an obvious sweeping motion.

The second post added fuel because Wes McCauley's presence made the moment louder for fans already upset with the standard.

Martin St-Louis can't build Game 2 around outrage. He needs Montreal's top six to handle Buffalo's pressure without letting one whistle bleed into every puck battle.

Buffalo owns a 1-0 series lead, with Game 2 set for Friday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m. EDT in Buffalo.

The Sabres already had home ice as the Atlantic Division's No. 1 seed, while Montreal entered as the No. 3 seed.

That makes Suzuki's response the real story. If he stays composed, Montreal gets its captain back in command of pace, matchups, and tone.

If he carries the frustration, Buffalo gets exactly what it wants: a Canadiens bench chasing calls instead of shifts.