Zach Benson gives ‘unbelievable’ props to Sabres fans

The Buffalo Sabres won Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Josh Doan scored two points to help Buffalo claim the first contest of this series. But teammate Zach Benson also played a big role in defeating the Habs at home on Wednesday night.

Benson provided the assist on Doan’s goal in the first period. The 20-year-old went on to add another assist to his ledger, as well. This helped Buffalo claim a 4-2 win in Game 1. After the game, he showed love to the fans in attendance at the KeyBank Center for helping drive his team forward.

“It’s unbelievable. I love it here. This is a hockey city,” the Sabres forward said, via Sportsnet. “There’s no other words to put it than, ‘unbelievable.'”

Sabres fans have long waited to see something like this. Buffalo last made it past the first round in 2007. That year, they made their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance. They lost to the Carolina Hurricanes the year before, and in 2007, they lost to the Ottawa Senators.

Buffalo is making its first playoff appearance in 14 seasons. So far, they have put in an incredible account for themselves. They are now three wins away from returning to the East Finals. However, the Canadiens are not going to go away quietly.

Montreal outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning in a grueling series that went the distance. The Canadiens won Game 7 with only nine shots on goal. And they were able to shut down the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel in that series.

The Canadiens and Sabres will hit the ice again on Friday night for what promises to be a must-see Game 2.