Beck Malenstyn’s collision with Jakub Dobes in the second period of Game 3 immediately became the most debated moment of the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens playoff series.
The Sabres forward skated full speed into the Canadiens crease and made direct contact with Dobes, knocking the goaltender to the ice and sending the net off its moorings. Dobes returned quickly after consulting with medical staff, but they had already done the damage.
Was it deliberate or was it simply unavoidable?
The Canadiens were handed a power play, Juraj Slafkovsky scored almost immediately to make it 4-1, and Montreal ran out a comfortable 6-2 winner to take a 2-1 series lead. However, the question dividing analysts is straightforward.
Did Malenstyn make any genuine effort to avoid Dobes, or did he intentionally target the rookie goaltender in a heated moment of a physical series? The replay showed Malenstyn making little to no effort to reduce his forward momentum before the collision.
Several analysts are already arguing that the hit warranted more than the two-minute minor for goaltender interference that the officials assessed.
TSN’s Hockey panel questioned why Malenstyn did not receive a five-minute major for charging, given the speed and trajectory of his approach to the crease. The officials ruled it a minor penalty, a decision that sparked immediate debate across broadcast coverage and social media.
Montreal was already leading 3-1 when the collision occurred. The power play that followed proved decisive in sealing the outcome. Slafkovsky deflected a Lane Hutson point shot past Alex Lyon to make it 4-1, and the Sabres never recovered their momentum in a game that finished with the Canadiens going two for five on the power play.
Lyon finished the night having saved just 24 of 28 shots through two periods before the game got away from Buffalo entirely. Dobes, by contrast, made 26 saves and received multiple standing ovations from the Bell Centre crowd, who broke into chants of his name throughout the third period.
What It Means for the Series
The Malenstyn incident is unlikely to disappear as a storyline. The series has been physical and emotionally charged from the opening period of Game 1, and the hit adds another layer of tension heading into Game 4.
Both sides will closely watch whether the NHL’s Department of Player Safety reviews the play before the next game. Montreal now leads the second-round series 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.
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