BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens open their first-round playoff series Wednesday night at KeyBank Center, with Game 1 set for 7 p.m. EDT. The Sabres (54-34) enter as the higher seed after a strong regular season, while the Canadiens (52-37) advanced by eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Buffalo also reached the second round, dispatching the Boston Bruins in five games. Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobes has been a key factor in net. Over his last nine appearances, Dobes posted a 5-4 record with a .915 save percentage. In the series-clinching 2-1 win over Tampa Bay on May 3, he stopped 28 of 29 shots. He also recorded 38 saves in a 3-2 victory April 29 and held the Lightning to two or fewer goals in four of six first-round games. For Buffalo, center Tage Thompson has been equally impactful. Thompson recorded two assists and five shots on goal in the Sabres’ 4-1 series-clinching win over Boston on May 1. Over the first round, he produced four points (two goals, two assists) and 28 shots in five games, including a two-goal, one-assist performance in a 4-3 win April 19. He also had six shots in a 2-4 loss April 21. The teams split their four-game regular-season series, each winning twice on home ice. Buffalo took the most recent meeting, a 4-2 victory in Montreal on Jan. 22. The Canadiens responded with a 4-2 win in Buffalo on Jan. 31. The Sabres outscored Montreal 15-13 in the season series. Montreal enters after a grueling six-game series against Tampa Bay, winning Games 1, 3, 4 and 6. The Canadiens went 3-0 at home in that series and 1-2 on the road. Buffalo went 3-0 at home against Boston, winning Games 1, 3 and 4 at KeyBank Center, and lost both games on the road. Key players for Montreal include center Nick Suzuki, who scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 against Tampa Bay and had three shots and three hits in that game. Defenseman Kaiden Guhle contributed two assists and two hits in the same contest. For Buffalo, goaltender Alex Lyon, who posted a 25-save win in Game 5 against Boston, is expected to start. The series continues Friday in Buffalo before shifting to Montreal for Games 3 and 4 on May 10 and May 12. A potential Game 6 is scheduled for May 16 in Buffalo.