MLS Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers will try to help the Chicago Fire to a second away win in four days in Saturday’s visit to a CF Montreal side that is resurgent under interim manager Philippe Eullaffroy.

Cuypers scored his 12th goal on Wednesday night as the Fire (6-4-2, 20 points) rallied from behind to a 3-1 victory at D.C. United.

The Belgian international has now scored in nine consecutive league matches and enters the weekend one ahead of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Dallas’ Petar Musa for the MLS scoring lead.

“For me, the Golden Boot has always been a consequence of the work I put in,” Cuypers said. “Of course I want to win the Golden Boot, that’s out of the question. But it’s not a focus because I know what I have to put in to get there. For me, it’s a reward and a consequence, not a goal, if that makes sense.”

Chicago’s three goals after halftime helped halt a three-match losing skid in all competitions, with all of those defeats coming at home.

A win or draw at Montreal (4-7-1, 13 points) could extend the Fire’s away unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions and five in the league.

But the Canadian side has posted a 3-1-1 record since Eullaffroy took over for the fired Marco Donadel and implemented a slight tactical shift into a 4-3-3 shape.

“I would say the mindset, the atmosphere, the joy — I know I’m repeating myself a little, but those were the things that were crucial to bring back,” Eullaffroy said in French. “And then, secondly, it’s the fact that we managed to change the team’s identity quite rapidly — even if we are still far from where I’d like us to end up.”

Under Eullaffroy, Montreal has been less possession oriented, having the majority of the ball only once in those five matches. A home-heavy schedule has also helped, with Montreal hosting six of eight before MLS breaks for the World Cup from late May through early July.

Striker Daniel Rios has scored his first two goals since his offseason move from Vancouver in Montreal’s last two games, a 2-0 home win over Orlando last Saturday and a 2-2 draw with Portland on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

The task facing the Buffalo Sabres is not easy, but it is straightforward.

The Sabres must drum up a win when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday or their season is over.

The Canadiens lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-2 with a chance to close it out in front of their frenzied home faithful. The Sabres head to Montreal with a chance to spoil that party and then have the same opportunity in their arena on Monday.

“What is there, five teams left? To be sitting here talking to you guys, I think that it’s a wonderful place to be, and I’ll tell the team the same thing,” coach Lindy Ruff said on Friday. “We get to go to Montreal in Game 6 in the middle of May to move on to a Game 7.”

The series winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. Carolina swept its opponents in each of the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and has been off since Sunday.

To prolong their series, the Sabres must regroup from a deflating 6-3 home loss on Thursday. Buffalo held a 3-2 lead after the first period, but surrendered four unanswered goals.

This would be a perfect time for a couple of struggling first-liners to find their form. Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs have failed to net a single point in the first five games of this series. Tuch netted four goals and three assists while Krebs had six points (two goals, four assists) in the six-game series victory over the Boston Bruins to open the playoffs.

“I can’t play the way I’m playing right now,” Tuch said. “Just going to be will and determination, but I’ve got to move past it, I’ve got to move on to the next game, and I’ve got to be better for the guys in this room.”

The Canadiens return home to a city and arena that will be filled with excitement.

The young squad had high hopes for the season and going into the playoffs. Reaching the third round may have exceeded anybody’s expectation back in October, but now is a reality they can all envision.

“Saturday night at the Bell Centre, I don’t think you can write it any better to close out a series,” forward Joe Veleno said on Friday. “I think the boys know that, and we’re all ready for it.”

It’s the same situation they had in their opening-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montreal failed to beat the Lightning in that Game 6 on the road, although it was as much due to a great goaltending performance by Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy as anything else.

Still, there was a lesson learned about the difficulty of closing out a series.

“I think it’s the hardest game,” defenseman Alexandre Carrier said. “Any time a team’s got its back against the wall, that’s when they’re desperate, that’s when they play their best most of the time. We’ve just got to stick to our game plan and really do what we do best.”

Though there will be a euphoric atmosphere in Montreal, the Canadiens’ track record this postseason has shown they will likely not be overwhelmed.

“I think we’re just focused on each and every day,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “We’re not worried about the day before. We’re not worried about what’s ahead. Let’s just take care of today. I think when you just take care of today, usually you don’t get anxious or too ecited. I feel like you just stay present where your feet are.”

–Field Level Media

Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell was scratched from his Friday start hours before the opener of the Freeway Series against the Angels in Anaheim and placed on the 15-day injured list.

The Dodgers said the 33-year-old Snell was scratched due to loose bodies in his left elbow.

The IL move is retroactive to Tuesday.

The Dodgers are now listing right-hander Will Klein (1-2, 2.76 ERA) to be the first pitcher in what will be a bullpen game.

The contest was slated to be Snell’s second appearance of the season. His season got off to a late start due to shoulder issues and he made his season debut last Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.

Snell struggled against the Braves as he allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits while throwing 77 pitches in just three innings. He struck out five and walked two while taking the loss.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was limited to 11 starts last season due to a shoulder injury and went 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA in his first season with the Dodgers. In the postseason, he went 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA in six appearances (five starts) to help the Dodgers win the World Series.

Snell is 81-63 with a 3.17 ERA in 223 career starts over 11 major league seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays (2016-20), San Diego Padres (2021-23), San Francisco Giants (2024) and Dodgers.

Snell won the American League Cy Young with the Rays in 2018 and took National League honors in 2023 for the Padres.

Los Angeles recalled left-hander Charlie Barnes in a corresponding move. Barnes, 30, hasn’t appeared in a game for the Dodgers since being claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs last Saturday. He gave up four runs (three earned) in three innings in his one outing for the Cubs.

–Field Level Media