Sabres Capitalize on Habs’ Sluggish Start in Crucial Standings Clash
If the Canadiens were looking to make a statement in a pivotal head-to-head matchup, they hit snooze on the opening alarm. Just 15 seconds into the game, Tage Thompson’s line pushed the puck right into the danger area. That kind of early pressure can’t become routine if Montreal wants to stay ahead in the standings race.
Then came the gut punch: 44 seconds in, Jason Zucker finished off a clean two-on-one after Buffalo caught Lane Hutson flat-footed at the blue line. That’s two warning signs in under a minute, and the Habs didn’t answer either.
Eventually, Montreal found its legs. There was a spark when Nick Suzuki spotted Brendan Gallagher flying off the bench, threading a pass that led to a shot off the post. It was a near-miss, but it showed signs of life.
The officiating didn’t do the Canadiens any favors early on. Kaiden Guhle took a helmet to the chin from Zucker on a hit behind the net, and somehow the ref-standing just 25 feet away-let it go.
Moments later, Michael Kesselring clipped Jake Evans in the face with his stick after a faceoff. The play had already been blown dead, but the penalty still stood.
Montreal’s power play, however, was a missed opportunity-and worse than that, it backfired. Beck Malenstyn burned Noah Dobson on the outside, drove the net, and scored just four seconds before Kesselring’s penalty expired. It was a rough shift for Dobson, who had already turned the puck over at the blue line earlier in the man advantage.
The Sabres nearly made it 3-0 when Konsta Helenius rang one off the post. The Canadiens were hanging on.
Juraj Slafkovský’s line gave the home crowd something to cheer about with a strong shift featuring two extended offensive phases. They even intercepted a clearing attempt for a potential third cycle, but fatigue forced them to change.
Bottom line: a flat start cost Montreal. One goal came from a lack of urgency, the other from a defensive lapse. Given how tight the standings are and the intensity of their last meeting with Buffalo, there’s no excuse for coming out that flat.
Second Period: Habs Find Their Game, But Still Trail
Slafkovský’s line picked up where it left off, pinning Buffalo deep again. But the Sabres struck back. Zach Benson played a game of post-to-post pinball before finally cashing in on his third attempt, stretching the lead to 3-0.
Montreal answered with some pushback. Josh Anderson had a golden opportunity on a three-on-one, but his stick was tied up as he tried to finish a cross-crease feed.
Then came the spark. Cole Caufield found space in the slot and buried his 26th of the season off a setup from Suzuki, who benefitted from strong board work by Kirby Dach. That familiar connection brought the Canadiens within two-and gave the building a pulse.
Montreal kept the pressure coming. Slafkovský drew a slashing penalty, giving the power play another shot.
But once again, Buffalo’s aggressive kill disrupted Montreal’s rhythm. Demidov’s passes lacked urgency, and the Sabres pounced on every hesitation.
At least this time, the Habs didn’t give one up the other way.
And they kept the momentum. Zachary Bolduc jumped on a turnover and got a clean look, forcing a rebound that Suzuki buried.
Suddenly, it was 3-2, and the Canadiens were outshooting Buffalo 21-9-11-1 in the period. That prompted a timeout from Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, trying to calm the storm.
The Bell Centre crowd responded with a full-throated “Olé!” chant. The Habs had taken control of the game.
Tensions flared late in the period. Bolduc and Mattias Samuelsson went off for matching roughing minors, and the ice opened up.
Bolduc then drew three Sabres into a scrum after a breakaway, but a retaliatory chop to Rasmus Dahlin’s leg earned him an extra two minutes. Buffalo got a power play they didn’t deserve-and did nothing with it.
Zero shots. Montreal’s kill stood tall.
The period ended with the Canadiens having outshot the Sabres 14-3 and outscored them 2-1 in the frame. The game was very much alive.
Third Period: A Missed Opportunity to Complete the Comeback
Montreal started the third with the same energy. Buffalo was hemmed in, and the Habs were sniffing out a tying goal.
Kaiden Guhle drew a slashing call from Noah Ostlund, giving the power play another chance to deliver. But again, the execution wasn’t there. Soft passes and slow decisions don’t cut it against Buffalo’s aggressive sticks.
Then came a turning point. Alex Tuch broke free for a shorthanded breakaway, but Samuel Montembeault made a crucial save to keep it a one-goal game. Unfortunately for Montreal, Lane Hutson clipped Tuch on the way by, and the Canadiens went shorthanded themselves.
They killed it off, but the Sabres seemed to find their footing. Montreal still had zone time, but the urgency wasn’t quite the same. The scoring chances dried up.
With two minutes left, Montembeault headed to the bench for the extra attacker. But the script felt all too familiar.
A defenseman wound up for a slapshot, only for his stick to snap in half. The puck went the other way, and with no goalie in net, Buffalo iced it with an empty-netter to seal the 4-2 win.
Final Takeaway: A Game Lost in the First Minute
Montreal played some strong hockey for the final 59 minutes. But in a game with playoff implications, you can’t spot the other team a two-goal head start. That early lethargy proved too much to overcome.
Over the past eight days, the Sabres have taken both head-to-head matchups and closed the gap in the standings to just two points. The Canadiens now head to Boston for a clash with a Bruins team also surging. If Montreal wants to hold its ground in the playoff race, that game needs to be their most complete performance of the season.
This one was a lesson in urgency: you can’t win a 60-minute game if you only start playing in the second.