The Montreal Canadiens (28-15-7) are set to the Buffalo Sabres (27-17-5), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
Even though the Habs are in a healthy position regarding their playoff hopes, which currently sit at roughly 80%, the Eastern Conference is once again offering a chaotic playoff picture. In other words, even if they’re relatively comfortable, losing a four-point game to the division rival Sabres would definitely muddy the waters.
Fortunately for Martin St-Louis’ team, they’re coming off one of their most dominant wins of the year, even if the 4-3 scoreline versus the Minnesota Wild was very flattering towards the road team. The Habs dominated the scoring chances at 5v5, and if not for some particularly horrible officiating which gave the Wild a series of unearned powerplays, it would have been a one-sided affair.
Not only was Lane Hutson penalized for a phantom call late in the second period, the referees also called another mystery penalty on Hutson shortly thereafter, robbing Montreal of one of their best players for four minutes, while forcing the penalty kill units to play at their best to avoid losing momentum in a challenging situation.
Seeing as the only consistency in NHL officiating is the lack of consistency, the Canadiens, who are admittedly weak in the discipline department, will have to be on their best behaviour as they face the Sabres.
MSL and Hutson can't believe it. Foligno trips on his own, and the Habs get penalized.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 21, 2026
Ghost call 101. This has been happening a lot with the Habs this year.
Hutson wasn't within 3 feet of him. Terrible call. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gKFAsJeIr4
This will be the third time these two teams meet, with the Canadiens and Sabres each earning a win in previous games.
Montreal won 4-2 on October 20, while the Sabres were the much better team when they emerged with a 5-2 victory on January 15. Tage Thompson featured in all five Sabres goals, a good reminder that the Habs will have to pay very close attention to the talented giant on Thursday night.
Lineup Changes, Starting Goalie
The Canadiens will rely on netminder Samuel Montembeault to guard the net on Thursday, hoping he will maintain his heightened level of play since he was assigned to the Laval Rocket (AHL) for a conditioning stint in mid-December.
Since then, Montembeault is yet to lose in regulation, sporting a 4-0-1 record, and a .906 save percentage in the process.
It’s an important resurgence for a player who will play a key role in Montreal’s bid to take the next big step in their rebuild, which would see the team qualify for the playoffs without having to sprint to the finish line, giving them a little more time to recoup from an injury and endurance standpoint before the springtime dance begins.
There are no other lineup changes expected, which means Alex Texier is still sidelined day-to-day with his lower-body injury. Kirby Dach will once again take his spot, playing alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the first line.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Kirby Dach
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Brendan Gallagher -Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson
Joe Veleno – Jake Evans – Zach Bolduc
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Kaiden Guhle – Alex Carrier
Samuel Montembeault
Buffalo Sabres Lineup
Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Konsta Helenius – Noah Ostlund – Josh Doan
Jordan Greenway – Peyton Krebs – Beck Malenstyn
Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Michael Kesselring – Zach Metsa
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Sabres
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, January 22, 2026, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
