Phillip Danault scored to give the Montreal Canadiens an early 2-1 lead, a play captured in an video headline that underlined how his return has shifted matchups in the series against the Buffalo Sabres.
The impact was immediate and measurable. reported that Montreal traded a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings just before Christmas to bring Danault back from California, and the return has been defined not by glamour but by faceoffs and matchup work. League-wide figures show Danault had won 61.9 percent of his draws in the playoffs, and, before Game 6 in Buffalo, he was winning 66.2 percent of his draws in the series against the Sabres.
Those numbers broke down into striking head-to-head success against one of Buffalo’s most dangerous forwards. Danault won 70 percent of the faceoffs taken against Tage Thompson and, across the four other games against Thompson, went 12-for-14 after a Game 4 in which he lost four of six faceoffs to the same opponent. He skated on a line with Alexandre Texier and Josh Anderson, a trio built to win possession and handle the tough minutes that decide playoff hockey.
The return for a second-round pick was plainly strategic. said Danault was brought back to win draws and play difficult matchups — the kind of role that rarely shows up fully on the scoresheet but that coaches count on when games tighten. Montreal picked up him to tilt those small, recurring battles in their favor, and in the first round of the playoffs the numbers suggest it has worked: more possession starts, more defensive-zone exits, and a center able to shut down opponents’ top options.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff framed what that shift feels like from the other bench. "It’s an experience that he hasn’t really gone through," Ruff said, and he added a caution about momentum and scrutiny: "I think there are momentum swings in your top players. I mean, we just mentioned Montreal’s top players, and a long stretch of not scoring even strength. Then, you’ll get that opportunity to make a difference. You’ve got to be able to make a difference. We know this time of year, there’s a heightened awareness on all your top players. Every opportunity, every mistake is being critiqued."
Ruff’s words expose the tension in the series: Danault’s faceoff edge can flip possession and tilt shifts, yet it arrived alongside a reminder that playoff slumps among top players leave thin margins for error. The Game 4 snapshot — Danault losing four of six faceoffs to Thompson — showed vulnerability; the subsequent 12-for-14 run and the 70 percent mark in direct matchups show how quickly those small battles can swing back, and how closely coaches and opponents track them.
Danault himself has been emphatic about the turnaround. After Game 4 he said, "My confidence is there, and I feel the confidence from Marty," and, "I feel aligned, I know my role here. I’m playing my best hockey probably since last year’s playoffs." Those are not modest claims in a series decided by inches and second chances, and they explain why Montreal was willing to part with a second-round pick just before Christmas to reclaim him.
The simple fact: Danault’s faceoff work and that early goal changed the texture of the game. If the Canadiens continue to win the draws that trap Buffalo on the defensive and give their top forwards more clean starts, the matchup center Montreal traded for will have done exactly what he was hired to do. The next, most consequential question is whether that edge can be sustained under the highest pressure moves of this series — and whether Montreal’s coaching staff can keep extracting those small but decisive advantages as the playoffs progress toward Game 7.
