The Montreal Canadiens are looking for a little redemption Thursday night when they welcome the Buffalo Sabres to the Bell Centre. Just a week ago, the Habs were on the wrong end of a one-sided affair in Buffalo, where Tage Thompson put on a clinic-netting a hat trick and dishing out two assists in a dominant five-point performance. That game also marked the end of Jacob Fowler’s 10-game NHL stint before he was reassigned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
Since that win, the Sabres have been riding a bit of a roller coaster. They dropped back-to-back games-first a 5-4 overtime loss to the Wild, then a tight 2-1 defeat against the Hurricanes-before righting the ship with a 5-3 win over the Predators.
That stretch leaves them with a 6-3-1 mark over their last 10, which just so happens to match the Canadiens’ record over the same span. Buffalo might’ve taken the most recent head-to-head, but Montreal has had the upper hand historically, winning seven of the last 10 meetings.
Goaltending decisions are still up in the air, but all signs point to the Canadiens turning back to Samuel Montembeault after Jakub Dobes got the start Tuesday against Minnesota. Montembeault has a mixed history against the Sabres-he’s 5-5-0 with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. Dobes, meanwhile, has been solid in limited action, going 2-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
On the Sabres’ side, Alex Lyon has been the workhorse this season, logging 22 games compared to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s 19 and Colten Ellis’ 11. Lyon also got the nod in Buffalo’s last outing.
His numbers-4-3-0 with a 3.14 GAA-don’t jump off the page, but he’s been steady. Luukkonen has struggled against the Habs, going 1-2-0 with a 4.54 GAA and a .847 save percentage, while Ellis is 1-0-0 with a 3.01 GAA and a .870 SV.
Offensively, Brendan Gallagher still leads all current Canadiens in career production against Buffalo with 24 points in 45 games, but Nick Suzuki is quickly closing the gap. The captain has racked up 22 points in just 19 games against the Sabres-a pace that speaks to his growing impact in these matchups. Phillip Danault rounds out the top three with 15 points in 26 games.
The Canadiens’ offense is heating up at just the right time, with four players riding three-game point streaks. Suzuki (1 goal, 4 assists), Cole Caufield (2-4-6), Ivan Demidov (1-3-4), and Lane Hutson (1-6-7) have all found their rhythm lately, giving Montreal some much-needed offensive punch heading into this divisional showdown.
As for the Sabres, Thompson’s five-point outburst last week cemented his status as their most dangerous forward. He now has 21 points in 18 games, and he’s not alone-Rasmus Dahlin continues to be a force from the blue line, posting 20 points in 22 games and currently riding a six-game point streak (3 goals, 4 assists). Alex Tuch has also been consistent, adding 19 points in 20 games to round out Buffalo’s top trio.
Puck drops at 7:00 PM ET, with the game available on RDS, TSN2, and MSG-B. The officiating crew will feature Jon McIsaac and Kelly Sutherland as referees, with Scott Cherrey and Ryan Daisy working the lines.
After Thursday’s tilt, the Canadiens hit the road for a Saturday night clash with the Boston Bruins before returning home for their final homestand ahead of the Olympic break. That stretch includes matchups against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche-who’ll be donning their throwback Quebec Nordiques jerseys in what promises to be a nostalgic night at the Bell Centre.
This matchup with Buffalo is more than just a chance to even the season series-it’s a measuring stick game for both teams as they try to build momentum heading into the back half of the season.