Canadiens Fall Short Again Against Sabres, Raising Familiar Questions in Net and on the Power Play
With the playoff race tightening and every divisional matchup carrying extra weight, Thursday night’s clash between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres had more than just two points on the line-it was about momentum, confidence, and answering some nagging questions that have followed the Habs for weeks. Unfortunately for Montreal, they came up short in a 3-2 loss, and many of those questions remain unanswered.
A Goalie Decision, and the Fallout
After Jakub Dobes helped snap a long drought against the Minnesota Wild earlier in the week, head coach Martin St-Louis turned the crease over to Samuel Montembeault for the second leg of the back-to-back. The move made sense on paper-Dobes had allowed three goals on just 19 shots in that win-but Montembeault’s recent form didn’t exactly scream "hot hand" either. In his only other start since Jacob Fowler’s demotion, Montembeault had surrendered five goals on 34 shots against the Senators.
The Canadiens needed a strong start from their netminder. Instead, they got the opposite.
Buffalo’s first shot of the game found the back of the net. It came off a two-on-one, and while the defensive breakdown was glaring-three forwards deep in the offensive zone, Lane Hutson pinching, and Jayden Struble unable to disrupt the rush-you still hope your goalie can bail you out in moments like that.
That’s what confidence in your last line of defense looks like. That’s what wins tight games.
The second goal stung even more-it came short-handed. Beck Malenstyn outmuscled Noah Dobson along the boards and drove in with little resistance.
Montembeault, deep in his crease and reactive rather than assertive, didn’t challenge. A poke check might’ve saved it.
Instead, the Canadiens were down two, and the energy in the building shifted.
Then came Zach Benson’s goal early in the second-his third shot on the sequence after hitting both posts. Again, defensive help was lacking, but three goals on nine shots?
That’s not a stat line that instills belief in the bench. To his credit, Montembeault did come up with a key stop on a breakaway by Alex Tuch in the third, preventing a second short-handed goal and giving his team a chance.
But by then, the damage was mostly done.
A Spark, Then a Stall
The Canadiens didn’t go quietly. Down 3-0, they finally showed some urgency.
It started with Kirby Dach setting the tone physically, throwing a big hit off an offensive zone draw. That opened the door for Mike Matheson to recover the puck and feed Nick Suzuki, who found Cole Caufield in the high slot.
One-timer. Goal.
Just like that, Montreal was back in it.
Not long after, St-Louis rolled the dice. He sent Zach Bolduc out for another offensive-zone faceoff alongside Suzuki and Caufield.
The Habs lost the draw, but Bolduc made up for it by intercepting a pass and getting a shot on goal. The rebound kicked out to Suzuki, who buried it.
Suddenly, it was 3-2, and the Bell Centre had life again.
Bolduc’s deployment was a savvy move from the coach-he liked what he saw from the young forward, and with Dach just returning from injury, it was a smart way to manage minutes without sacrificing offensive potential.
But Lindy Ruff wasn’t going to let the game slip away. The Sabres coach called a timeout immediately after the Canadiens’ second goal-a move that paid off in a big way.
Buffalo clamped down, allowing just two more shots for the rest of the period and effectively snuffing out Montreal’s momentum. It was a textbook example of using a timeout not just to regroup, but to reset the tone.
It worked.
The Same Old Story
The Canadiens finished with 34 shots on goal, won 64% of faceoffs, and outhit the Sabres 28-26. On paper, that looks like a team that did a lot of things right. But the scoreboard tells a different story.
Once again, the Habs struggled to play a full 60 minutes. They gave up goals early in both the first and second periods-exactly the kind of lapses that have haunted them all season.
And the power play? Still a major issue.
Over the last two games, the man-advantage has been more of a momentum killer than a weapon. Zone entries have been a mess, with players like Caufield trying to take on entire penalty-kill units solo rather than making the smart, simple play.
Once they do get set up, the puck movement slows to a crawl. It’s as if the urgency disappears the moment they cross the blue line.
That lack of execution cost them again Thursday, especially when Buffalo cashed in short-handed and nearly added another.
What Now?
The Canadiens are now just two points ahead of the Sabres in the standings-and Buffalo has a game in hand. They’re also only three points clear of the Bruins, who picked up a win of their own.
And guess who’s next on the schedule? Yep, the Bruins.
In Boston. On Saturday night.
Call it a must-win. Call it a statement game.
Either way, the Canadiens need to bring more than just flashes of good hockey. They need a full 60-minute effort, sharper special teams, and a goaltender who can steady the ship when things get rocky.
Because right now, the margin for error is gone.