Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens — Game Preview & Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres are on the road to face the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Buffalo (2-3) is coming off a strong 3-0 shutout victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday, while Montreal (4-2) is looking to bounce back from a narrow 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers.
Head-to-Head & Key Stats
- Buffalo went 0-3-1 against Montreal last season
- The Sabres are 0-1 on the road so far this season
- Montreal is allowing an average of 3 goals per game
- Buffalo is averaging 2.6 goals per game
- The Canadiens are averaging 3.5 goals per game
- The Sabres are allowing 2.8 goals per game
- Montreal holds a 2-1 record at home this season
Game Preview
Buffalo enters this matchup riding a two-game winning streak, thanks in large part to their recent shutout of the Panthers. Key contributors for the Sabres include Zach Benson, who has 5 assists; Josh Doan with 2 goals and 3 assists (5 points); Rasmus Dahlin with 4 assists; and Tage Thompson, who has 1 goal and 3 assists (4 points).
The Sabres are expected to start goaltender Alex Lyon, who currently holds a 2-3 record with a 2.43 goals-against average (GAA) and a .929 save percentage (SV%). Lyon has started every game for Buffalo this season and is coming off an impressive shutout. In his career against Montreal, Lyon has a 4-2 record with a 3.15 GAA and a .879 SV%.
Montreal, meanwhile, is coming off a tough 4-3 home loss to the Rangers that snapped their four-game winning streak. The Canadiens will start Sam Montembeault, who has a 2-2 record with a 3.26 GAA and a .857 SV% this season. Against Buffalo in his career, Montembeault is 5-5 with a 3.04 GAA and a .905 SV%.
Offensively, the Canadiens have been hot out of the gate. Cole Caufield leads the way with 5 goals and 3 assists (8 points), Nick Suzuki has 1 goal and 7 assists (8 points), and Brendan Gallagher has contributed 5 assists.
Odds & Prediction
Buffalo enters as the +130 underdog, while Montreal is favored at -155. The over/under is set at 6.5 goals. Although the Sabres come off a notable shutout win, this matchup favors the Canadiens, who have a strong home-ice advantage and an offensively potent lineup.
Prediction: Canadiens 4, Sabres 2
Betting Tips
- Montreal Moneyline (ML) at -155
- Under 6.5 total goals at -130
- Over 1.5 goals scored in the first period at -135
