Canadiens fans turn Buffalo into a Habs takeover after massive Game 5 win

The real story wasn't only the 6-3 win. It was control. Montreal took the rink, then took the building, then took the noise outside it.

That matters in a playoff series because pressure travels. When a road team turns the walkout into a home-style celebration, the next game stops feeling neutral for either side.

Nick Suzuki drove that swing with 1 goal and 2 assists, and Juraj Slafkovsky backed it with 3 assists. Ivan Demidov added 1 goal, 1 assist and 5 shots.

Buffalo came in as a 109-point team with a +47 goal differential. One ugly night didn't erase that, but it shoved all the weight onto Lindy Ruff's bench.

The eye test hit even harder once the doors opened. Red jerseys packed the exits, phones were up, and the chant rolled through Buffalo signage like it belonged there.

That clip wasn't just fan theater. It showed a team giving its crowd belief fast enough to drag it onto the road, and that's a problem for Buffalo heading into Game 6.

Then came the second wave. The chant got louder, tighter and more defiant, with Canadiens fans turning a Sabres postgame corridor into their own soundtrack.

That's where St-Louis gains his edge. His group answered a 3-2 loss in Game 5 with a four-goal road response 48 hours later, which says a lot about bench calm and lineup buy-in.

Lane Hutson gave Montreal 2 assists from the blue line, while Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Jake Evans and Alexandre Texier all scored. That spread is tough to check in a swing game.

Now Buffalo isn't chasing tactics alone. It's chasing the feel of the series, and right now the Canadiens own that part too.