The Gauntlet 2026-27 · Qualification night
The Canadiens smother the Sabres
Canadiens 4, Sabres 3
October 13, 2026. The Montréal Canadiens go through. Next: vs the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sat, Oct 31, 7:00 PM ET.
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Flamekeeper
Zachary Bolduc
He scored the deciding shootout attempt to end Buffalo's run, after setting up Josh Anderson's goal late in the second period.
Bolduc buries it, and Montréal's qualification curse breaks
Three years of darkness
The Montréal Canadiens had gone dark on qualification night three seasons running: the Devils in 2023-24, the Rangers in 2024-25, the Blue Jackets in 2025-26. Across the ice at Centre Bell stood the Buffalo Sabres, who shared the Gauntlet in 2023-24 and finished 4th of 32 last season. These two had never met in the Gauntlet. Only one of them would leave with a flame.
Zellweger nearly flips it
Olen Zellweger, a defenseman, snapped Buffalo ahead at 2:16. Lane Hutson, a Montréal defenseman, answered on the power play at 14:28. Cole Caufield snapped one home 1:19 into the second, and Josh Anderson made it 3-1 with 50 seconds left in the period.
Then the Sabres came back. Josh Norris scored at 4:24 of the third, and Zellweger struck again just 1:01 later. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves on 38 shots to drag Buffalo into overtime. At 4:27 of overtime Juraj Slafkovský went off for holding, and the Sabres didn't score on the power play.
Bolduc closes the door
Caufield scored first in the shootout. Tage Thompson matched him. Alexandre Texier scored, and Jack Quinn didn't. Zachary Bolduc stepped up and buried the decider. The Sabres were snuffed out, and the Canadiens burn on as one of 29 flames still lit.
What is the Gauntlet?
A proposal for an NHL in-season tournament. All 32 teams start alive, every Gauntlet game is a game already on the regular-season schedule, and lose one and you are out.