NHL Games on TV Today – Saturday, May 16, 2026 (ET)
One game on the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule tonight, and it is the last unfinished series in the bracket. The Buffalo Sabres face elimination at the Bell Centre as the Montreal Canadiens try to close out the Eastern Conference Second Round and book a date with Carolina.
Coverage is exclusive to ABC in the United States, with Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports carrying it in Canada.
Saturday’s NHL Schedule at a Glance
| Time (ET) | Matchup | Series Status | US TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 PM | Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens (Game 6) | Montreal leads 3-2 | ABC |
🏒 Game of the Day: Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens (Game 6)
8:00 PM ET | ABC (US) · Sportsnet / CBC / TVA Sports (Canada)
Montreal is one win from its first Eastern Conference Final since the 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final, and it gets to try in front of a building that has been the loudest in the league all spring.
The Canadiens seized control with a 6-3 win in Buffalo on Thursday, a game that produced five goals in a frantic first period before Montreal scored four unanswered. Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists, Juraj Slafkovsky set up three, and Ivan Demidov scored the first playoff goal of his career. Jake Evans supplied the winner – his first postseason marker since June 2021 – and Phillip Danault dominated the faceoff dot, winning 14 of 18 draws.
Jakub Dobes was again the steadying force with 33 saves on 36 shots, absorbing a third period in which Buffalo outshot Montreal 20-3. He has become the fifth rookie goaltender in Canadiens history to win at least seven games in a single postseason, joining Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, Steve Penney and Bill Durnan. Suzuki’s road point streak to open these playoffs now stands at seven games and 10 points – only Mats Naslund in 1987 has gone longer for Montreal.
Buffalo, though, should not be written off. The Sabres already won at the Bell Centre in this series, taking Game 4 by a 3-2 score, and they were the NHL’s best road team from December onward. Lindy Ruff has rotated between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon all postseason and will ride whichever goaltender he believes is hottest. A franchise that ended a 14-season playoff drought this spring is not likely to go quietly with a first conference final since 2007 still within reach.
Prediction: Buffalo throws everything at it and steals one on the road – the series goes to a Game 7 on Monday.
What’s Next
If Buffalo wins, Game 7 returns to KeyBank Center on Monday, May 18. If Montreal closes it out, the Canadiens head to Raleigh to face a Carolina team that has not played since sweeping Philadelphia on May 9 and remains unbeaten at 8-0 this postseason.
The Western Conference Final is already set: the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Colorado Avalanche for Game 1 on Wednesday, May 20, at Ball Arena.
One game, one season on the line. Whoever survives tonight faces the toughest possible reward – a rested, unbeaten Hurricanes side waiting in the Eastern Conference Final.
