The Canadiens have already shown Buffalo this week that their offense can flip a game in a hurry, and Saturday offers another chance to do it again at home.
Montreal is back on the ice looking to shake off a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday and get right against the Sabres for the second time in a matter of days. The first meeting this week followed a familiar script for these teams: the Canadiens grabbed a 3-1 lead after two periods, Buffalo punched back with two goals in the third, and Montreal ultimately escaped with a shootout win. That result gave the Canadiens their fifth victory in the last seven meetings with Buffalo.
Cole Caufield was right in the middle of that one, and it came at a good time for him. He arrived in the game with only two points through his first five contests, then responded with a goal and an assist in a matchup he usually thrives in.
His numbers against Buffalo are getting hard to ignore. Caufield has points in eight of his last nine games against the Sabres, piling up nine goals and five assists for 14 points.
Over his last 16 meetings with Buffalo, he has 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points. The 25-year-old Wisconsin native is also coming off a career year that produced 51 goals, 37 assists and 88 points in 81 games.
The Sabres still hold a slim historical edge in the all-time series, leading 138-122-14 with 31 ties, and they’ll need to tighten things up fast if they want to slow a Montreal attack that has started to wake up. The Canadiens scored 14 goals across their first five games, then added eight more over their last two. The bigger concern remains on defense, where Montreal has given up 27 goals through seven games, tied for the sixth-most in the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have played one more game.
That’s been a lingering issue for a group that finished last season in the middle of the pack at 3.06 goals against per game and trimmed that to 2.95 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal made improving the back end a priority heading into this season, but the early returns have not matched the plan.
Buffalo brings its own mixed bag into the matchup. The Sabres followed a season in which they snapped a 14-year playoff drought and won their first playoff series since 2007 by opening this year with three losses in five games. They’ve steadied themselves lately, though, winning two of their last three with victories over the Florida Panthers and the Maple Leafs.
Their offense has started to come around as well. Buffalo scored 11 goals in its first five games, then more than doubled that output with 13 goals over its last three. Still, the Sabres have just as many issues on the other side of the puck, having allowed 29 goals in eight games, the fifth-most in the league.
That sets up another game with plenty of scoring chances and not much room for either defense to breathe. If Caufield stays hot, Montreal could put Buffalo under pressure again and keep building momentum in these divisional matchups.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin Just Gave Canadiens Fans A Reason To Revisit This Dream
Dylan Larkins name still has a way of lighting up the Bell Centre, and a recent visit by the Red Wings captain only fed that old Canadiens daydream a little more. Montreal fans gave him a notable reception, the kind that reminds everyone how easily a big-name center can become part of the citys ongoing wish list, especially when the organization is always looking for ways to upgrade down the middle.
Larkin didnt exactly pour cold water on the whole scene, either, praising the atmosphere in Montreal and calling it one of hockeys best arenas. Even so, the practical side of the story has not changed much, with Montreal not currently listed among the 10 teams on his reported trade request list and no deal anywhere near confirmed. For now, it is still more reminder than resolution, but it was enough to make Canadiens fans revisit a dream they know well. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Win Exposed A Sabres Problem Fans Have Seen Before
The Sabres have made a habit of flirting with disaster, and the latest example came in a 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal after Buffalo clawed its way back into the game. There are signs of progress in spots, with Jack Quinn, Josh Doan and Josh Norris all showing better form, but the bigger picture still looks familiar: too much inconsistency, too little clean defensive hockey, and not enough margin for error when the game tightens.
What has made the trend harder to ignore is how often Buffalo has had to lean on late rallies just to collect points. That approach can keep a team afloat for a night, but it is not a recipe for staying competitive over the long haul, especially when the margins are so thin in the standings. The Canadiens exposed that reality again, leaving the Sabres with another reminder that the comeback formula only works so many times before it catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Came Shockingly Close To A Franchise What-If With Brett Hull
Brett Hull recently reopened one of the more fascinating what-ifs in Canadiens history, saying he was very close to signing with Montreal in 2001 before ending up in Detroit instead. The timing alone makes it intriguing for Canadiens fans, since Hull was still a proven scorer with a chance to alter the direction of the franchise, even if landing him would not have guaranteed instant contention.
On a podcast, Hull recounted the kind of recruiting pitch that makes these stories linger, including a conversation with Canadiens icon Jean Bliveau as Montreal tried to make its case. What tipped the balance away from the Canadiens was a late push from Detroit, and Hull wound up with the Red Wings, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2002 instead of becoming part of a very different Montreal chapter. [Read more 🡒]