Nick Suzuki and Martin St-Louis now have a clearer path as the Montreal Canadiens wait on Saturday's Game 6 at the Bell Centre.
The NHL has adjusted the calendar again, and the next round schedule now hinges on whether Montreal finishes off the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games.
That's the big development heading into Saturday night. The Canadiens can either grab extra rest with a home win or push this series into a seventh game.
Mike Harrington laid out the two scenarios, and the difference is significant for both teams as they prepare for a possible meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes.
"Regardless of the winner...
The Eastern Conference Final begins Tuesday in Carolina if the Sabres and Canadiens finish in 6 games and begins Thursday if it finishes in 7 games.
Buffalo or Montreal will host Games 3, 4 and 6."
If Montreal ends the series Saturday, the Eastern Conference Final opens Tuesday, May 19, in Carolina. That gives the Canadiens a short but valuable turnaround.
Game 2 in that setup would be Thursday, May 21, also in Carolina, before the series shifts back to Montreal for the next stretch.
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Saturday could change everything for Montreal
In that first scenario, Game 3 would be Saturday, May 23, at the Bell Centre, and Game 4 would follow Monday, May 25, in Montreal.
Games 5, 6, and 7 would still be conditional, but the structure is already clear: Buffalo or Montreal would host Games 3, 4, and 6.
If the Sabres force Game 7 on Monday night in Buffalo, the schedule moves back. The Eastern Conference Final would then begin Thursday, May 21, in Carolina.
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That shift would drag the series deeper into the calendar and could push a full 7-game conference final into early June. That's a very different road.
For the Canadiens, the better outcome is obvious. Closing out the Sabres at home means no return trip to Buffalo and a little more recovery time.
It also gives Montreal a louder springboard into the next round, with Bell Centre energy behind them and a chance to reset before facing Carolina.
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Saturday's puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, and for the Canadiens, one game could decide far more than just this series.
Should the Montreal Canadiens finish the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday?
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