Sabres Keep Surging, Outlast Canadiens in Playoff-Like Battle at Bell Centre
MONTREAL - The Buffalo Sabres are learning to thrive in the chaos - and they’re doing it with a confidence that’s starting to feel playoff-tested.
Thursday night at the always-electric Bell Centre, Buffalo came out swinging and held on late to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2, inching within two points of third place in the Atlantic Division. It wasn’t just a win - it was another notch in a red-hot stretch that’s seen the Sabres go 17-3-1, including an eye-popping 10-2-0 mark on the road. Add Montreal to a growing list of tough road wins that already includes Edmonton and Dallas.
“This is as close to a playoff game as you’re going to get in the regular season,” said forward Beck Malenstyn, who continues to carve out a key role in Buffalo’s bottom six. “When they get some momentum, it’s a hostile environment. But we weathered the storm.”
The Sabres did more than weather it - they punched first. Jason Zucker opened the scoring just 44 seconds in on a 2-on-1 rush, taking the air out of a sold-out Bell Centre crowd before they could even settle in.
That early strike was more than symbolic; Buffalo is now 20-3-1 when scoring first this season. In a league where momentum swings can be brutal, getting out in front has been their calling card.
Then came Malenstyn, adding to his growing highlight reel with a shorthanded gem. He beat Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson in a footrace, muscled his way to the net, and flipped a backhand past Samuel Montembeault to double the lead. That goal tied Buffalo for the league lead in shorthanded tallies - they now have seven on the season - and it was another example of Malenstyn’s relentless, blue-collar style paying off.
“It’s nice when those go in,” Malenstyn said. “But I just try to play a consistent game every night. I’d love to get a couple more that bounce off me in front, too.”
Zach Benson made it 3-0 early in the second, finishing off a gritty third-effort sequence that also gave linemate Konsta Helenius his third primary assist in two games. The Sabres were rolling - until the Canadiens pushed back.
Cole Caufield got Montreal on the board, and then Nick Suzuki capitalized on a turnover to cut the lead to 3-2 midway through the second. The Bell Centre crowd came alive, and the Sabres were suddenly on their heels. Montreal outshot Buffalo 15-3 in the second period, but the Sabres held on, thanks in large part to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who stoned Zachary Bolduc on a late breakaway to preserve the lead.
That save was the turning point. Buffalo regrouped in the third and played the kind of lockdown hockey that coaches dream about with a one-goal lead. They kept the Canadiens to the outside, got pucks deep, and made Montreal work the full length of the ice - a smart, composed response to a tense situation.
“I thought we played a rock-solid third period,” said head coach Lindy Ruff. “Maybe gave up one chance in a one-goal game. Gotta give our guys credit for locking back in.”
With 44 seconds left, Peyton Krebs sealed it with an empty-netter - his fourth of the season and second in as many games. If there’s a specialist for long-range daggers, Krebs is quickly becoming that guy.
“Most of them have been from the other side of center,” Ruff said. “And he’s hit the net.”
This one had a little bit of everything - playoff atmosphere, divisional stakes, and some nastiness along the way. Zucker delivered a high hit on Kaiden Guhle early, and Bolduc caught Benson with an elbow late. It was chippy, emotional, and physical - and the Sabres had to walk a fine line.
“I thought we did a good job of just toeing the line,” said Malenstyn. “You want to lean into that emotion, but you don’t want to cross it.”
They also had to adjust on the fly. Defenseman Jacob Bryson left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss time.
That meant heavy minutes for others, and Buffalo’s blue line delivered. Bowen Byram logged 27:21 - his second-highest total this season - and finished plus-three.
Owen Power wasn’t far behind, skating a season-high 26:26 and finishing plus-two.
“He’s got a big engine,” Ruff said of Byram. “We leaned on him pretty heavy tonight, but he’s able to handle it.”
And then there’s Luukkonen. Quietly, he’s been one of the league’s steadiest netminders over the last month and change.
He stopped 32 of 34 shots Thursday and came up big when it mattered most. Over his last 10 games, he’s 7-2-1 with a .922 save percentage.
Since December 9, the Sabres lead the NHL with a .917 team save percentage.
“I thought he was phenomenal the entire night,” Zucker said. “We lose that game without UPL tonight.”
Buffalo’s climb in the standings is impressive, but the reality is, there’s no margin for error. The Eastern Conference is a logjam, and one bad week can knock a team right out of the playoff picture. But the Sabres are embracing the pressure, game by game.
“It’s a great challenge,” Malenstyn said. “Every single night, we’re gonna get the other team’s best.
You can’t take anybody lightly. Hopefully we stay on that path and find ourselves in a playoff spot when the dust settles.”
Next up, the Sabres head to Long Island for a Saturday matinee against the Islanders - another team with postseason aspirations and something to prove. Puck drops at 1 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 12:30 on MSG.